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ATWOOD’S 

COUNTRY  AND  SUBURBAN 

HOUSES. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  ABOUT  150  ENGRAVINGS. 


DANIEL  T.  ATWOOD, 

ARCHITECT. 


NEW  YORK; 

ORANGE  JUDD  & COMPANY. 

245  BROADWAY. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871,  by 
ORANGE  JUDD  & CO., 

In  tne  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO 

THE  SEEKING  MILLIONS 

letter  (Jfaith  in,  and  lone  fmt  a game 

LIGHTENS 

EVERY  TOIL  AND  SELF-DENIAL 

EXERTED  IN  ITS  BEHALF, 

This  Work  is  Inscribed 

BY  THE 


AUTHO R 


PREFACE 


SOME  apology  seems  due  to  the  friends  of  the 
author  who  have  been  delayed  in  the  receipt  of 
Country  Houses  much  beyond  the  time  appointed . 
I*  Also  for  the  publication  of  a less  number  of  de- 
signs than  was  first  promised. 

A desire  not  to  increase  the  size  of  the  present  book 
beyond  a certain  number  of  pages,  induced  the  Author 
to  reserve  a number  of  designs  of  Villas  and  Cottages, 
built  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  for  a second  series 
now  in  preparation,  with  such  improvements,  in  plates, 
details,  and  specifications,  as  will  give  greater  suggestive 
and  practical  value . 

The  interest  and  love  manifested  by  all  classes  for 
tasteful  homes  in  the  country,  may  be  regarded  as  one 
of  the  happy  results  of  our  united  American  civilization, 
and  it  is  a cause  of  sincere  thanksgiving  that  a policy  of 
government,  so  wise  and  liberal  in  its  principles,  has 


8 


PREFACE. 


been  maintained,  in  whose  bounteous  soil  the  sentiment 
for  home  beauty  has  been  propagated,  and  become  so 
universal  among  all  classes  of  our  fellow  countrymen. 

It  is  to  contribute  something  toward  the  practical 
shaping  of  this  interest  that  the  Author  supplies  tliOj 
public  with  these  hints  and  suggestions  as  to  the  general 
principles  of  house  building,  style,  cost,  location, 
symmetry  and  modes  of  building,-  and  believes  his 
humble  labors  will  not  be  in  vain. 


DANIEL  T.  ATWOOD. 


CONTENTS. 


HINTS  TO  HOUSE  SEEKERS— CHOOSING  THE  SITE,  ...  13 

THE  PLAN, 15 

WATER  SUPPLY, 17 

KITCHEN  AND  VENTILATION, 19 

PROPORTION, 21 

THE  STYLE, . 27 

THE  FOUNDATIONS, 30 

CISTERNS  AND  FILTERERS, 33 

SUPERSTRUCTURE  WALLS, 35 

BRICK,  40 

DESCRIPTION  OF  ANCIENT  METHODS, 41 

CONCRETE  WALLS,  44 

ELEMENTS  OF  A GOOD  CONCRETE, 47 

CONCRETE  MOULDS,  PROPORTIONS— HOW  TO  LAY  A WALL,  - 48 

AGGLOMERATED  CONCRETE, 63 

AMERICAN  BUILDING  BLOCK, 64 

EN  PISE, 5G 

WOODEN  WALLS, 06 

EXTERNAL  COVERING  OF  FRAMES, 81  . 


10 


CONTENTS. 


THE  ROOF, * gfi 

TIMBER,  ITS  PROPERTIES  AND  PRESERVATION,  =.  . S3 

SELECTION  OF  TREES  FOR  TIMBER, 

SEASONING  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  TIMBER,  * • . 103 

PAINTING, , - lCfl 

DESIGN  ONE— PICTURESQUE  STONE  COTTAGE,  ■ ♦ - - 121 

“ TWO— HALF-TIMBERED  COTTAGE,  ...»  - 135 

“ THREE— A WORKINGMAN’S  COTTAGE,  ...  - 14!? 

“ FOUR— A SEMI-SWISS  ORNEE  DWELLING,  - - - - 14C 

“ FIVE— CLEMATIS  COTTAGE,  -------  151. 

“ SIX— A SYMMETRICAL  COTTAGE, 1?A 

“ SEVEN— A SMALL  VILLA  OF  BROWN  STONE,  - - - 15, 

“ EIGHT— A SEA  SIDE  COTTAGE, 16!> 

“ NINE— A SUBURBAN  STABLE, 17*' 

“ TEN— A COUNTRY  CHURCH, 17. 

“ ELEVEN— A COUNTRY  CHURCH. ISO 

“ TWELVE— A COUNTRY  CHURCH, 1S5 

“ THIRTEEN— A FARM  BARN, 200 

“ FOURTEEN— A COUNTRY  GENTLEMAN’S  STABLE,  - - 205 

“ FIFTEEN— SMALL  SUBURBAN  STABLE,  ...  - 207 

“ SIXTEEN— SMALL  SUBURBAN  STABLE,  - - - - 208 

SEVENTEEN— BOWLING  ALLEY, 210 

“ EIGHTEEN— RESIDENCE  OF  C.E.  ROBINS,  - - - - 211 

“ NINETEEN— A DOUBLE  COTTAGE  IN  THE  RURAL  GOTHIC 

STYLE, 240 

“ TWENTY— ITALIAN  COTTAGE, 245 

«•  TWENTY-ONE— ITALIAN  VILLA,  - - 240 


CONTENTS. 


11 


DESIGN  TWENTY-TWO— MELROSE  COTTAGES, 253 

“ TWENTY-THREE— A PICTURESQUE  YILLA,  . - - 256 

“ TWENTY-FOUR— BRICK  SUMMER  RESIDENCE,  S.  I.,  - 259 

“ TWENTY-FIYE — A COUNTRY  HOUSE, 263 

“ TWENTY-SIX— A SINGLE  SUMMER  RESIDENCE  OF  BRICK, 

BAY  SHORE,  S.  L,  265 

“ TWENTY-SEVEN— A MECHANIC’S  COTTAGE,  - - - 269 

“ TWENTY-EIGHT— A COUNTRY  HOUSE,  - - - 271 

“ TWENTY-NINE— BRONXVILLE  HOUSE,  - ...  275 

“ THIRTY— A COUNTRY  HOUSE, 27S 

“ THIRTY-ONE— MR.  J.  H.  POST’S  VILLA,  - - - - 2S1 

“ THIRTY-TWO— A SUBURBAN  DWELLING  OF  STONE,  - 2S4 

“ THIRTY-T&REE— LABORER’S  COTTAGE,  - - - = 237 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


HINTS  TO  HOUSE  SEEKERS CHOOSING  THE  SITE. 


tto* 


-HE  site  for  a dwelling  should  com- 
bine, as  far  as  possible,  health, 
convenience  of  access,  agreeable  views, 
and  shelter,  or  some  natural  protection 
from  northerly  winds.  I should  con- 
sider a site  desirable  if  supplied  with  an  abun- 
dance of  good  water,  naturally  or  by  the  sink- 
ing of  wells,  if  situated  in  a gently  undulating 
or  rolling  country,  whose  soil  is  light  and  fer- 
tile, adapted  to  a generous  culture,  and  the 
atmosphere  generally  pure  and  salubrious,  the 
roadways  direct  and  ample,  and  the  northerly 
exposure  protected  rather  by  trees  than  hills, 
which  afford  cool  and  refreshing  breezes  in 


summer. 


14 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Most  persons  know  the  advantages  arising 
from  the  possession  of  a good  site  for  the 
dwelling ; the  ease  with  which  it  may  he  dis- 
posed of  in  time  of  need,  together  with  the 
enjoyment  which  its  possession  confers.  It  is 
quite  as  well  known  that  if  the  best  natural 
qualities  of  a site  are  wanting,  nothing  that 
can  be  done  by  artificial  means  will  quite  supply 
their  place  ; you  may  rear  a costly  and  elegant 
house,  lay  out  walks,  do  planting,  and  employ 
the  most  ingenious  artifices  of  the  landscape 
engineer’s  art,  and  not  then  cover  the  deficien- 
cies of  a poor  site. 

You  may  on  the  other  hand  select  a naturally 
good  site,  build  commonplace  buildings,  indulge 
in  little  expense,  pay  but  little  attention  to  the 
rules  of  art,  and  have  a home  incomparably 
better  and  more  attractive;  simply  because  it 
is  associated  with  natural  advantages,  and 
avails  itself  of  natural  beauty. 

Use  caution,  therefore,  instead  of  haste  in 
making  your  selection;  examine  not  only  two 
or  three,  but  all  the  places  within  the  range  of 
your  ability  to  possess;  ask  questions  freely, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


15 


and  seek  advice  from  persons  of  experience  and 
judgment.  Concerning  any  particular  lo- 
cality, propound  these  queries : Do  the  statis- 

tics of  the  longevity  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
quarter  show  the  average  run  of  life?  Is  the 
air  wholesome  and  pure,  the  soil  gravelly  or 
loamy  and  moderately  high  and  rolling?  Is  the 
water  limpid  and  abundant?  Vegetation,  full 
and  healthy?  Is  the  locality  free  from  mias- 
matic influence?  [And  it  would  be  well  to  in- 
quire also  if  it  is  free  from  mosquitoes.]  If 
affirmative  answers  be  given  in  whole,  or  even 
in  part,  you  may  class  it  as  eligible. 

THE  PLAN. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  choice  of  a site  is 
the  selection  of  a plan;  its  extent  being  gov- 
erned by  the  amount  to  be  expended,  the  chief 
point  in  its  management  should  be  studied  with 
particular  reference  to  convenience  and  the 
exposures  at  hand. 

Sleeping  rooms  should  be  provided  with  an 
easterly  exposure  on  account  of  the  morning 


16 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


light  and  a cooler  temperature  at  night,  which 
in  midsummer  is  very  desirable. 

A northeasterly  or  southwesterly  exposure 
is  best  for  parlors  or  sitting  rooms,  a northerly 
for  the  kitchen  and  its  offices,  or  closets  and 
store  rooms,  a southerly  for  study,  or  library, 
and  dressing  rooms. 

No  plan  is  complete  or  a good  one  that  does 
not,  in  proportion  to  its  limits,  provide  ample 
closet  space  for  the  sleeping  rooms,  pantries  for 
the  kitchen  and  dining  room,  with  stairs  and 
passages  for  communication  with  all  the  prin- 
cipal rooms,  centrally  located.  The  ordinary, 
passages  should  be  not  less  than  02  feet,  and 
properly  lighted  and  ventilated.  Entrance 
halls  with  an  open  staircase  in  cottage  houses 
should  be  not  less  then  62  feet  wide.  The 
kitchen  conveniences  should  be  made  perfect 
in  their  kind. — The  kitchen  is  the  engine  room 
of  the  whole  household. — It  is  here  you  will 
bake,  brew,  and  wash,  and  perform  a daily 
round  of  labor  essential  to  the  order,  clean- 
liness and  comfort  of  the  whole  family.  It  is 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


17 


therefore  necessary  to  provide,  as  of  first  im- 
portance, 

A WATER  SUPPLY, 

from  cisterns,  or  springs,  or  wells,  by  means  of 
an  apparatus  either  economic  or  expensive  in 
its  construction  according  to  the  means  and  so- 
cial habits  of  the  owners.  The  method  most 
common  and  inexpensive,  is  to  employ  lead  pipe 
and  a lift  pump,  set  over  an  iron  or  wooden 
sink,  about  20x40  inches,  and  6 in.  deep,  com- 
municating with  the  cistern  or  well,  with  waste 
pipe  passing  to  an  outside  drain  or  cesspool, 
and  properly  trapped,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1. 

The  sink,  which  here  is  of 
iron  and  supported  on  iron 
legs,  may  be  enclosed  under- 
neath with  narrow  tongued 
and  grooved  boards,  and  pain- 
ted. T,  is  the  stench-tap,  com- 
municating with  the  waste  pipe  w,  which  should 
discharge  by  a drain  outside  into  a cesspool. 
S,  is  the  supply  pipe  connected  with  the  pump, 
and  communicating  with  the  cistern  or  well. 

2* 


18 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


Wash  Trays  are  another  convenience  the 
kitchen  of  the  middle  class  cottage  is  seldom 
provided  with,  but  should  be  placed  here, 
whether  a full  plumbing  supply  is  intended  or 
not;  they  may  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
common  cistern  sink,  and  supplied  by  the  same 
pump  by  being  built  adjoining  it.  These 
should  be  in  two  or  three  divisions  of  about 
20x30  in.  each,  and  provided  with  a waste 
pipe  to  connect  with  the  waste  of  the  sink. 
The  bottom  of  one  of  the  tubs  next  to  the  sink, 
should  be  1 1 inches  lower  than  the  other,  to 
allow  the  waste  water  from  the  adjoining  one 
to  pass  into  it  near  the  bottom,  by  removing  a 
plug,  and  to  pass  off  through  the  waste  pipe, 
which  should  communicate  with  this  division 
only. 

Fig.  2.  represents  a set  of  trays  or  tubs 
which  cost  no  more  than  the  common  portable 
tubs,  and  are  always  in 
place  and  convenient,  and 
being  covered  can,  if 
kitchen  accommodation  is 
limited,  be  used  as  a side 


Fig.  2. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


19 


table.  The  sides  and  ends  of  the  trays  are  made 
of  2 inch  seasoned  pine  plank,  and  put  together 
with  white  lead  and  nails.  The  covers  should 
be  made  of  li  in.  pine,  and  made  to  project 
with  a nosing  equal  to  their  thickness. 

A range  breast  should  be  built  in  the  kitchen 
in  all  cases,  instead  of  the  common  stove  chim- 
ney, since  this  apartment — usually  the  most  im- 
perfectly ventilated — needs  as  much  attention 
in  this  respect  as  sleeping  rooms,  in  order 
that  the  gases  and  vapor  made  while  the 
cooking  operations  are  in  progress  be  taken 
immediately  from  the  room,  without  exposure 
to  draughts  of  cold  air. 

Fig.  3 shows  a convenient  form  of  kitchen 
range  breast,  4 feet  wide  on  the  first  floor  of 
the  dwelling,  with  a flue  8x16  inches. 

CEILING  LINE.  The  opening  at  floor,  (a) 

is  designed  to  accommodate 
the  stove  or  portable  range, 
which  sets  under  the  flue, 
controlled  by  a sheet-iron 
valve,  and  is  raised  when 


20 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


it  is  necessary  to  convey  the  fumes  of  cooking 
immediately  away. 

The  valve  (v),  near  the  ceiling,  should  he 
12x16  inches,  and  self-acting,  and  is  intended 
for  the  outward  passage  of  vapor  in  parts  of  the 
room  remote  from  the  fire.  When  it  is  desired 
to  use  any  of  the  stationary  ranges  in  the 
kitchen,  this  form  of  breast  must  be  enlarged 
in  width  to  conform  to  the  size  you  wish. 

An  outside  entrance,  opening  into  a wood 
shed  or  porch  on  one  side  of  the  fire,  and 
ample  light  on  opposite  sides  of  the  room  are 
most  desirable.  Store  pantries  should  in  all 
cases  communicate  with  the  kitchen,  and  the 
inner  passage  to  the  provision  cellar.  The  dish 
and  china  closets  should  be  convenient  to  both 
dining  room  and  kitchen,  and  the  communica- 
tion between  these  last  named  apartments 
should  be  by  a short  passage  in  all 
^ possible  cases. 

7 Fig.  4 is  a section  of  a House 
plan,  showing  a good  arrangement 
for  the  middle  class  house.  Chimneys 
Fig.  4.  should  be  located  centrally  for  the 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


21 


purpose  of  retaining  all  the  waste  surface  heat 
inside  the  building,  and  maintain  a better  ar- 
chitectural appearance  externally. 

Doors  should  be  arranged  to  hang  and  swing 
as  right-hand  doors,  and  always  to  lift  off,  or 
with  loose  jointed  butts.  Their  length  or 
height  should  in  all  cases  be  (9-12)  nine-twelfths 
the  height  of  the  rooms  or  height  of  ceilings, 
and  from  2 ft.  6 in.  to  3 ft.  wide  for  single  doors, 
and  when  double  doors  are  used  for  the  front 
entrance  to  a cottage,  the  folds  singly  should  be 
2 ft.  2 in.,  to  2 ft,  6 in.  for  any  medium  sized 
house;  their  height  10-1 2ths  of  the  height  of 
the  room,  and  this  width  would  be  proper  for 
entrances  into  halls  and  lobbies  from  7 to  10  ft. 
wide.  Avoid  having  too  many  doors  open  into 
one  apartment.  The  number  should  not  exceed 
three  where  there  are  no  unusual  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  forming  the  plan  and  communications 
from  room  to  room. 

When  door  openings  occur  on  both  sides  of 
a pier  or  mantel  breast,  the  spaces  should  be 
equal,  in  order  to  preserve  the  symmetry  of 
that  side  of  the  room,  as  shown  in  Fig.  5. 


22 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


In  lighting  a dwelling  it  is  an 
injudicious  practice  to  place  more 
than  two  windows  or  openings  in 
one  side  of  a room,  and  where  there  are  two 
sides  facing  any  exposure  the  better  practice, 
both  for  effect  and  utility,  is  to  place  single 
lights  or  openings  on  a side,  either  single,  dou- 
ble or  triple  mullioned  windows,  or  some  form 
of  bay  on  one  of  the  sides  with  a window  on 
the  other,  allowing  for  the  height  of  the  open- 
ings (8-12)  eight- twelfths  of  the  height  of  the 
ceiling  or  room,  and  locating  the  sill  or  bottom 
(2-12)  two-twelfths  above  the  floor.  If  these 
openings  are  to  remain  single,  their  width 
should  be  (2-5)  two-fifths  the  length.  This 
proportion  for  two  windows  will  give  ample 
light  for  any  ordinary  room,  and  for  all  rooms, 
whether  oblong  or  square,  containing  a super- 
ficial area  of  384  feet,  and  about  3840  cubic  feet, 
or  for  a room  about  10x24  feet.  It  is  often- 
times desirable  for  pyramidal  effect,  and  the  su- 
perimposition of  the  exterior  design  to  form  the 
window  opening  into  doublets  and  triplets.  In 
such  cases  observe  the  rule  above  for  length, 


Fig,  5. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


23 


and  take  (2)  one-half  the  length  for  the  width, 
the  aggregate  width  being  separated  into  two 
equal  parts  by  a proper  mullion.  If  for  a trip- 
let window,  observing  the  same  rule  for  the 
length,  take  (3-5)  three-fifths  of  the  same  for 
the  width,  separating  the  aggregate  light  into 
three  equal  parts  by  proper  mullions. 

Bay  and  oriel  windows  are  pretty  and  effect- 
ive features  in  any  design,  and  by  being  located 
on  a southerly  exposure  may  be  adapted  to  flo- 
riculture, or  growing  of  house  and  specimen 
plants,  by  the  family.  This  class  of  window 
may  be  employed  in  the  form  of  a square,  a 
hexagonal,  octagonal,  or  circular  projection, 
and  may  have  two,  three,  or  five  lights  or  ap- 
ertures. For  square  bays,  the  rules  given  above 
will  apply;  their  projection  from  the  building 
being  governed  according  to  circumstances,  or 
the  will  of  the  designer.  For  hexagonal,  octa- 
gonal and  round  projections,  or  bays,  the 
width  inside  should  be  equivalent  to  (1)  one- 
third  the  length  of  that  side  of  the  room  of 
which  it  is  to  form  a part,  and  the  projection 
from  the  building  should  be  equal  to  (2)  one- 


24 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


half  their  respective  diameters,  the  length  of 
openings  for  lights  to  he  governed  by  the  rule 
above,  and  the  angles  separating  the  lights, 
and  forming  mullions  and  boxes  for  weights. 
The  ceilings  of  all  cottage  bays  should  conform 
to  the  height  of  the  ceiling  in  the  rooms. 

Proportions  of  rooms  should  be  considered  in 
connection  with  their  use,  and  the  rules  regu- 
lating the  proportions  of  the  exterior  and  skele- 
ton or  frame  of  the  building ; and  whether  de- 
signed for  comfort  and  convenience,  or  to  please 
by  their  elegance  and  beauty,  some  regard  to 
natural  harmony  should  be  observed,  without 
which  they  may  offend  the  most  unpracticed 
eye.  The  external  measurements  of  a building, 
including  width,  length  and  height,  may  be  ad- 
justed by  some  of  the  ratios  denominated  har- 
monic and  arithmetic  proportions  of  buildings, 
according  to  the  following  rules : For  the  pro- 
portion of  the  outside  of  the  main  portion  of  the 
dwelling  or  any  of  its  additions,  first  determine 
the  height,  or  number  of  stories,  by  deciding 
whether  you  require  a (14)  one-and-a-lialf  or  a 
(2)  two  story  house.  Choose  for  the  height  of 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


25 


a single  story  never  less  than  9 feet  for  any 
dwelling,  and  for  a medium  class  not  more  than 
10  or  12  feet;  add  together  the  heights  of 
whatever  stories  selected,  including  the  thick- 
ness of  floors,  and  this  aggregate  height  we 
will  assume  to  he  18  feet.  Now,  taking  the 
ratio,  6 for  the  length,  4 for  the  width,  and  3 
for  the  height,  we  have — 

3 : 4 ; : 18  : 24,  the  width, 

3 : 6 ::  18  : 36,  the  length; 

or  a simpler  method  may  be  used  by  obtaining 
the  greatest  common  division  of  18  feet,  which 
is  6,  then  the  length  designated  by  6x6  = 36 
feet,  the  length,  and  the  width  4 x 6 = 24  feet, 
the  width. 

If  the  outside  of  a dwelling  is  proportioned 
in  the  above  manner,  the  principal  rooms  must 
partake  of  the  same  relative  proportions;  and 
in  order  to  fix  them  more  completely,  the  ratios 
(3)  for  the  length,  (2)  for  the  width,  and  (I) 
for  the  height — and  the  height  of  one  story, 
which  we  assume  to  be  9 feet,  being  represent- 
ed by  (1),  then— 

2 


26 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


1 : 2 ::  9 : 18  feet,  width  of  room,  and 
1 : 3 ::  9 : 27  feet,  length  of  room. 

There  are  other  ratios  besides  the  above  that 
may  be  used,  accommodating  themselves  to 
any  measure  thought  most  convenient,  consist- 
ing of  seven  numbers  in  all,  which  have  been 
termed  by  an  ingenious  and  able  architectural 
writer  as  the  seven  varieties  of  architectural 
proportion.  It  is  not  expected  that  any  but 
experienced  architects  would  thoroughly  apply 
these  harmonic  rules  in  forming  the  plan  and 
external  design,  yet  the  novice  cannot  help 
working  out  some  good  results. 

The  bath  room,  either  for  hot  or  cold  water, 
should  be  included  in  the  plan  of  every  dwell- 
ing, however  humble,  and  if  the  expense  of 
modern  bathing  apparatus  cannot  be  indulged, 
then  supply  your  room  with  a portable  tub, 
coarse  towels  and  a sponge,  which  will  answer 
quite  as  well — consulting  your  physician  or 
some  reliable  medical  work  on  the  methods 
enjoined  for  the  hand-bath. 

In  concluding  the  remarks  on  the  plan,  I may 
say,  no  plan  will  be  complete  or  commendable 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


27 


that  does  not  provide  ample  means  for  ven- 
tilating the  rooms — a subject  which  will  be 
briefly  treated  of  in  another  chapter. 

THE  STYLE. 

In  good,  “or  well  building/’  some  attention 
should  be  given  to  the  style,  as  no  person  of 
any  refinement  or  culture,  however  limited  in 
means  or  unambitious  with  regard  to  the  extent 
of  his  dwelling,  would  remain  content  inside 
of  four  walls  so  ordered  and  arranged  as  to 
barely  fulfill  the  requirements  of  utility — a 
shelter  from  storm  and  heat,  a lodging  and  eat- 
ing place  simply. 

As  social  beings,  we  are  required  to  rebuke 
and  banish  that  selfishness  which  would  lead 
us  to  build  only  for  our  own  convenience,  and 
neglect  to  render  that  dutiful  courtesy  in  build- 
ing, intended  to  please,  excite  and  compliment 
the  taste.  As  moral  beings,  we  require  that 
buildings  should  be  expressive,  and  yield  defi- 
nite emotions,  indicating  their  quality  and  their 
purpose.  And  as  intellectual  beings,  we  re- 
quire the  refinement  of  “courtesy  into  posi- 


28 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


tive  beauty,  by  attention  of  whatever  may 
please  the  mind,  and  preference  for  whatever 
may  please  its  highest  faculties  before  that 
which  may  please  the  lower,  when  they  are 
incompatible,  the  justice  of  this  preference 
constituting  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong  in  art,  commonly  called  good  and  bad 
‘ ‘ taste For  this  reason  we  demand  forms  well 
proportioned,  fitting  forms,  and  forms  pos- 
sessing grace  and  beauty. 

There  is  no  good  or  needful  cause  for  build- 
ing our  cottage  houses  out  of  proportion,  as 
many  do,  or  even  out  of  the  precincts  of  some 
recognized  style  in  architecture.  On  the  plea  of 
cost  there  is  surely  none,  for  the  difference  in  the 
expense  of  a box  and  a building  architecturally 
treated  is  too  trifling  to  mention,  in  compari- 
son with  the  immense  advantage  and  satisfac- 
tion gained.  And  who  does  not  prefer  a good 
form,  generously  projecting  roof  cornices,  am- 
ple windows  and  entrances,  inviting  piazzas, 
and  cosy  interior. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  enumerate  various 
styles  of  building  here,  but  with  regard  to  the 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


29 


style  suited  to  a particular  locality  the  follow- 
ing general  principles  should  govern  in  the 
selection: 

First,  choose  the  style  or  general  features 
of  it  to  accord  with  the  site  and  be  in  harmony, 
and  in  some  particular  in  contrast,  with  the 
general  character  of  its  surroundings. 

Second,  a highly  picturesque  neighborhood 
involves  a picturesque  style  of  building,  with 
horizontal  lines  in  contrast  to  perpendicular 
ones.  A level  country,  symmetrical  buildings ; 
a ridgy  country,  irregular  buildings;  a monoto- 
nous country,  regular  buildings.  A*  picturesque 
site  or  locality  is  distinguished  chiefly  by  an- 
gular, perpendicular,  and  diagonal  lines,  which 
express  strength,  stability,  and  complete  beauty 
of  form.  Therefore,  the  styles  denominated 
Gothic,  Anglo-Italian,  (the  former  against  a 
back  ground  of  hills,  the  latter  on  natural  and 
elevated  _ terraces)  or  some  modifications  of 
them,  with  the  early  English  and  Swiss  cottage 
styles  could  be  suitably  employed.  A level 
country  is  distinguished  by  level  and  variously 
winding  lines,  expressing  ease,  variety,  and 


30 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES . 


uniformity,  and  here  may  be  located  that  va- 
riety of  nameless  styles,  modifications  of  almost 
every  known' style;  yet  many  of  them  exam- 
ples of  taste  and  refinement. 

All  buildings,  of  whatever  class,  should  be* 
made  expressive  of  character  in  harmony  with 
their  use.  Dwellings,  for  example,  should  ex- 
press home  traits,  cheerfulness,  comfort,  and 
repose,  by  giving  the  requisite  attention  to 
their  architectural  detail,  to  views,  to  the  lights 
or  placing  of  windows  and  doors,  ample  pro- 
jections, verandahs,  and  bays. 

THE  FOUNDATIONS. 

Foundations  may  be  constructed  of  brick, 
stone,  and  concrete.  When  brick  is  employed, 
use  only  hard  burned  ones,  and  lay  them  in 
cement  mortar  below  the  ground,  using  either 
English  or  Flemish  bond.  For  medium  class 
dwellings  a brick  foundation  wall,  8 inches  thick, 
will  answer,  started  upon  proper  footings  of 
stone.  All  foundations  and  cellar  walls  should 
be  built  enough  below  the  surface  of  the  ground 
to  avoid  being  displaced  by  the  frost;  20  to  24 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


31 


inches  will  be  a sufficient  depth  for  foundations 
in  a gravelly  or  sandy  soil;  and  30  to  38  inches 
in  a clay  or  damp  soil.  “Rubble  stone  ” 
(rough  quarry  stone)  foundation  or  cellar  walls 
should  be  18  inches  thick  to  supply  a firm  bond. 
Concrete  foundation  walls  should  be  18  to  24 
inches  thick.  All  foundations  or  cellar  walls 
should  be  built  upon  footings  constructed  in 
such  a manner  as  to  drain  them  of  surface  wa- 
ter, should  any  settle  down;  and,  as  an  addi- 
tional precaution,  select  a situation  undulating 
and  dry  as  possible,  that  there  may  exist  less 
cause  for  decay  in  the  building  next  to  the 
foundation.  When  cellars  are  not  built,  the 
enclosure  formed  under  a building,  by  the 
foundations,  should  be  ventilated,  and  the 
loose  upper  soil  removed.  The  depth  of  foun- 
dations below  the  ground  is  sometimes  propor- 
tioned to  the  height  or  altitude  of  the  building 
— one-sixth  of  the  altitude  for  that  of  the  foun- 
dations above  the  footings.  This  rule,  how- 
ever, is  not  at  all  times  to  be  relied  on,  because 
some  soils  are  wet,  and  some  dry,  and  require 
to  be  trenched  deeper,  or  more  shallow,  ac- 


32 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


cording  to  circumstances,  the  actual  distance 
below  the  surface  being  determined  by  the 
action  of  the  frost,  in  either  of  the  above  soils. 
These  remarks  apply  particularly  to  the  north- 
ern latitudes ; any  uniform  rule  like  the  above 
being  proper  south  of  36  degrees  of  latitude. 

Fig.  6,  represents  a section  of 
8 inch  brick  foundation  wall  laid 
on  a footing  of  round  or  field 
stone. 

Fig.  7,  a section  of  a concrete 
wall. 

Fig.  8,  a section  of  rubble 
stone  wall.  The  footings  of  all 
walls  should  project  4 or  6 inch- 
es on  either  side;  if  the  soil  is 
dry,  the  trench  can  be  filled  with  loose  field  or 
other  stone,  and  the  wall  then  built  upon  it  ; 
if  the  soil  is  wet,  then  large  flat  stone,  laid  in 
cement,  making  a course  of  8 or  10  inches  in 
thickness  over  the  footing  course  of  loose  field 
stone,  would  be  required.  Bottom  excavations 
for  the  trenches  should  have  a fall  toward 
some  corner  of  the  building  for  water  to  collect, 


Fxcj.  8. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES.  33 

and  some  means  of  exit  provided  by  drain  or 
cesspool,  if  the  soil  is  wet  enough  to  require  it. 

Cisterns  should  be  built  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  A circular  form  is  best,  and 
for  ordinary  family  uses,  8 feet  in  diameter, 
and  8 feet  deep  is  a good  size,  excavating  deep 
enough  to  finish  the  arch  about  20  inches  be- 
low grade  level.  One  4-inch  course  of  brick 
will  form  the  walls  of  a cistern  below  ground 
— the  covering  should,  in  most  cases,  be  of 
brick,  arched  over  in  the  form  of  a segment 
leaving  a “man  hole’7  about  24  inches  in  diam- 
eter in  the  middle,  the  neck  of  which  should  be 
built  up  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  cov- 
ered with  plank  or  a flag-stone  cover.  Such 
a cistern  requires  two  coats  of  grout  on  the 
bottom,  and  two  coats  of  water-lime  cement 
on  the  sides  and  top.  The  rain-water  as  it 
collects  on  the  roof  of  the  house  should  flow  to 
the  cistern  through  leaders  and  vitrified  4-inch 
tile  pipe,  the  latter  under  ground ; an  outlet 
should  be  provided  to  take  off  waste  water, 
communicating  with  a cesspool,  or  sand  or 

gravel  strata,  three  or  four  rods  away  from  the 
2* 


34 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


dwelling.  Cisterns  constructed  in  this  manner 
can  be  used  as  a well  by  the  family,  the  water 
drawn  up  inside  the  house  by  the  pump,  and 
filtered  there  or  in  a filter  constructed  in  the 
cistern,  with  pure  and  foul  water  compart- 
ments—-the  latter  containing  the  filtering  me- 
dia, through  which  the  rain-water  passes  and 
becomes  purified.  The  following  is  a mode 
adopted  by  the  author  in  a number  of  cases, 
with  perfect  success : 

Separate  the  cistern  by  a straight  12  inch 
brick  wall  into  two  equal  parts.  Let  the  12 
inch  wall  terminate  1 2 inches  below  the  spring 
of  the  arch.  Plaster  the  whole  interior  so  as 
to  make  it  water  tight,  and  12  or  15  inches 
from  the  bottom  of  the  pure  water  compart- 
ment, insert  a row  of  two  inch  cement  or  vitri- 
fied pipe  G to  8 inches  apart,  with  the  inner 
ends  covered  with  galvanized  iron  or  plate  tin 
strainers. 

Level  with  the  top  of  the  pipes,  and  in  the 
foul  water  compartment,  lay  a floor  of  heavy 
slate,  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness  perforated 
with  fine  one-eighth  inch  holes,  as  closely  to- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


35 


gether  as  possible.  Support  the  slate  floor  on 
blue-stone  or  granite  bearings,  and  on  this 
provide  and  lay  a filtering  media  composed  of 
fine  slate,  charcoal,  and  screened  gravel,  in  the 
following  proportions:  First  layer  of  fine  slate 
4 inches  thick.  Charcoal  1 inch  thick.  Second 
layer  of  fine  slate  4 inches  thick.  Layer  of 
screened  gravel  6 inches  thick,  with  a flat  stone 
or  slate  laid  to  receive  the  falling  water  from 
the  inlet.  Both  the  inlet  and  outlet  should 
communicate  with  the  foul  water  compart- 
ments. Such  cisterns  should  have  double  cov- 
ers at  the  top,  and  a trap  in  the  outlet  drain 
or  overflow  about  three  yards  distant. 

TIIE  SUPERSTRUCTURE  WALLS. 

The  superstructure  walls,  or  walls  above  the 
foundations,  may  be  built  of  stone,  brick,  con- 
crete, or  wood;  and  these  different  materials 
thus  employed  may  be  used  in  a variety  of 
ways,  accommodating  either  an  economic  or 
expensive  mode  of  building.  The  most  com- 
mon and  inexpensive  stone  construction  is 
called  “rubble  work,”  in  which  the  stones  are 


36 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


taken  from  the  quarry  and  laid  up 
without  being  squared,  or  worked 

p*  q 

' in  any  manner,  as  shown  in  Fig.  9. 
For  country  houses,  this  kind  of  wall  may 
be  used  with  little  regard  to  surface  finish — 
its  natural  roughness  and  rustic  appearance 
contrasting  finely  with  undulating  surfaces, 
especially  in  the  midst  of  vines  and  shrubs. 

A rubble  wall  may  be  improved  in  appear- 
ance by  introducing  as  quoins  or 
belting  courses,  some  cut  stones 
like  Fig.  10. 

class  of  stone  wall,  denominated 
“coursed  work/7  consists  of  stones 
squared  and  laid  in  regular  courses 
Fig-  u-  as  in  Fig.  11. 

Another  method  is  practiced,  called  “random 
coursed  work,77  in  which  the  stones  are  more 
or  less  squared,  with  the  joints  ver- 
tical and  horizontal,  but  placed  in 
irregular  courses,  as  in  Fig.  12. 

“Ashlar  work,77  Fig.  13,  is  still 
another  common  method,  in  which 
the  stone  are  accurately  squared, 


Fig.  10. 

A better 


rr-nn.1,1  ■III- 1 ' 

ill1"  humi  l^mul  t 


Fig.  12. 

nyi  , nirtl 

rrstr 

Fig.  13. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


37 


and  rubbed,  and  dressed  to  given  dimensions 
in  length  and  height,  and  laid  in  equal  courses, 
outside  a backing  of  brick,  to  which  they  are 
well  anchored. 

Walls  may  be  built  with  a casing  of  cut  stone 
on  both  sides,  and  the  middle  filled  in  with 
rubble  or  cobble  stone.  A style  of  wall  may 
also  be  built  called  “fine  and  wide  joint  work,’7 
commonly  styled  rustic  work.  Fig.  14  and 
Fig.  15. 

FINE. 

] i\' 1 1 1 'I i 'H M 'iRT? 

Jibh/lHHiilnbil 


IBBBBCTOEyBfffilll 


Fig.  14. 

There  are  many  other  styles  of  constructing 
stone  walls,  ancient  and  modern.  Some  with 
projecting  surface,  and  edges  beveled  or  round- 
ed, or  the  courses  channeled.  Some  with 
squarely  cut  margins  of  from  1 to  I2  inches 
all  around  each  stone,  leaving  the  natural  rock 
I face  exposed.  The  following  are  some  of  the 
ancient  methods,  viz. : 

“Reticulated77  work. — Stones  laid  diagonally. 

“Isodomum77  work. — Stones  laid  in  courses, 
equal  thickness  and  lengths. 


WIDE. 


ntriii 

CS3C 

3DO 

Fig.  15. 


38 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


1 ‘ Pseudisodomum  ” work. — Stones  laid  in 
courses,  unequal  heights,  lengths,  and  thick- 
nesses. 

Face  stones  regular, 

Greek  Emplectum,  and  the  middle  filled 

r* 

Itoman  “ in  with  rubble  work. 

Walls  very  thick. 

Long  and  short  work. 

Herringbone  work. 

Brick  walls,  though  not  so  favorable  for 
the  display  of  the  taste  and  genius  of  the  de- 
signer as  stone,  are  deservedly  popular,  because 
of  their  cheapness  and  dryness,  as  compared 
with  stone,  and  the  facility  with  which  they 
may  be  adapted  to  a solid  or  hollow  wall  con- 
struction; in  the  latter  case  enabling  the  mason 
to  spread  his  mortar  or  plaster  upon  the  brick 
for  interior  finish,  and  thus  save  furrings,  laths 
and  nails.  The  ordinary  brick  superstructure 
walls  are  8 inches,  12  inches,  and  16  inches  in 
thickness,  and  may  be  laid  solid  or  hollow,  and 
with  the  “English,  Flemish,  or  Blind  bond.” 
An  English  bond  consists  of  one 
course  of  headers  and  one  course 
of  stretchers  alternately.  Fig.  16. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES 


39 


In  Flemish  bond,  every  course  consists  of 
, 1 headers  and  stretchers  altern- 

t | i i > _L 

ately,  and  laid  so  as  to  break 
joints.  Fig.  17. 


Fig.  17. 


Blind  bond  consists  of  stretchers  in  every 
course,  with  a diagonal  header  and  bond  laid 
every  5th  course,  but  not  visible  on  the  face  of 
the  wall.  Fi£.  18. 


The  English  or  Flemish  bond  makes  very 
strong  walls,  but  is  inferior  to  the  Blind  bond 
in  appearance.  The  rule,  uniformly  observed 
by  modern  bricklayers,  is  to  bond  every  5th 
and  7th  course,  whether  the  wall  be  8 inches, 
12  inches,  or  16  inches;  the  headers  sometimes 
appearing  on  the  face  of  the  wall  and  some- 
times concealed  from  view,  according  to  quality 
of  work. 


40 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


BRICK. 

When  bricks  are  laid  in  dry  weather,  they 
should  be  well  wet  by  throwing  water  upon 
them,  or  dipping  them  before  they  are  used, 
as  this  will  cause  the  mortar  to  adhere,  and 
make  firmer  work,  by  giving  it  time  to  exert 
its  cohesive  properties. 

In  laying  up  thin  walls,  or  doing  any  light 
brick  work  where  it  is  important  to  economize 
all  the  strength,  this  is  particularly  desirable. 
During  frosty  or  stormy  weather,  protect  the 
walls  with  straw  in  preference  to  boards  on  the 
top,  as  expansion  takes  place  after  exposure  to 
frost,  which  render  the  walls  worthless  for  a 
number  of  courses  from  the  top  downward. 

In  laying  the  walls  of  a building,  they  should 
be  carried  up  together,  or  nearly  so,  one  side 
not  more  than  30  courses  in  advance  of  another 
at  any  time,  on  account  of  their  tendency 
to  shrink.  This  precaution  will  thus  provide 
for  an  average  shrinkage  and  avoid  dangerous 
cracks. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES, 


41 


DESCRIPTION  OF  ANCIENT  METHODS. 

“The  early  Greeks  constructed  their  walls — 
particularly  those  which  surrounded  their  cit- 
ies— of  rough  stones  of  an  immense  size ; the 
interstices  that  were  left  between  these  shape- 
less blocks,  were  filled  with  small  stones.  . . . 
When  the  ancients  began  to  cut  their  stones, 
they  did  not  cut  them  rectangular,  but  gave 
them  an  irregular  figure  of  three,  four,  or  six 
sides,  and  fitted  them  together,  so  that  when  in 
their  places,  they  left  no  interstices  between 
them.  The  ruins  of  the  ancient  vrall  about  the 
city  of  Cora,  near  Yelletri,  are  an  example  of 
this  mode  of  building.  . . . They  next  em- 
ployed stones  cut  at  right  angles,  and  of  an  ob- 
long form,  but  their  size  was  not  uniform.  We 
find  the'  remains  of  such  walls  in  Greek  and 
Etruscan  buildings.  The  stones  are  generally 
from  nine  to  twenty-two  feet  long,  and  from 
two  to  six  high,  in  the  walls  of  Yolaterra,  Cor- 
tona, and  Pm  stum;  those  of  the  latter  city  have 
been,  restored  by  the  Romans . Sometimes 
they  gave  to  the  exterior  of  these  stones  the 


42 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


form  of  a rhombus  or  lozenge,  as  the  ancient 
walls  in  the  isle  of  Syria,  and  in  Samos.” 

As  by  degrees  the  Greeks  brought  their 
architecture  to  perfection,  they  constructed 
their  buildings  in  a manner  more  agreeable, 
more  regular,  and  less  gigantic. 

There  were  three  different  modes  of  build- 
ing the  isodomum , which  was  formed  of  ran- 

ges of  large  stones  of  equal  height,  and  which, 
consequently,  gave  to  the  buildings  in  which  it 
was  employed  a handsome  appearance,  and 
was,  therefore,  chiefly  employed  in  the  con- 
struction of  temples;  the  pseudisodomum,  which 
consisted  of  ranges  of  stones  of  unequal  height ; 
and  the  e?npledum,  which  was  employed  when 
it  was  requisite  to  give  a thickness  greater  than 
ordinary  to  the  walls,  and  in  which  the  outside 
only  of  the  walls  were  built  up  of  regular 
hewn  stones,  and  the  interior  part  filled  with 
rough  stones  and  mortar.  For  the  sake  of 
greater  solidity,  they  placed  with  care,  at  cer- 
tain distances,  cross-stones,  which  served  to 
bind  the  two  outer  faces. 

The  Romans  at  first  imitated  the  Etruscans 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


43 


in  their  manner  of  building.  But  in  later 
times,  independent  of  the  use  of  bricks  and 
hewn  stones,  the  Homans  had  two  modes  of 
building,  which  they  called  reticulatum  and  in- 
cerium.  The  incerium  consisted  in  employing 
the  stones  just  as  they  came  from  the  quar- 
ries,"ranged  in  any  order  as  they  could  best  fit 
them  together.  What  was  called  reticulatum 
ojpuSj  was  a wall  composed  of  square  stones, 
which  were  not  placed  in  a horizontal  direction, 
but  in  such  a manner,  that  the  junctures  lay  in 
a horizontal  line,  which  gave  the  wall  the  ap- 
pearance of  net  work,  whence  it  received  the 
name  of  reticulatum  and  was  called  by  the 
Greeks  dictyotheton.  Vitruvius  assures  us, 
that  in  his  time  this  was  the  mode  of  building 
most  commonly  practiced.  Many  edifices  of 
this  construction  still  remain. 

The  Homans  imitated  the  emplectum  of  the 
Greeks,  but  did  not  execute  it  with  the  same 
care,  or  solidity. 


44 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


CONCRETE  WALLS. 

In  localities  where  coarse  sand  and  gravel 
are  abundant,  the  concrete  or  gravel  wall  will 
be  found,  in  many  respects,  desirable.  Its 
chief  points  of  excellence  are  cheapness,  ease 
of  construction,  and  durability  ; and  for  all 
buildings  of  a medium  size,  in  favorable  local- 
ities, it  is  preferable  to  any  other.  A preju- 
dice has  existed  against  concrete  work,  (which 
fortunately  it  has  nearly  “lived  down, ”)  on 
account  of  a few  failures  resulting,  principally, 
from  want  of  a proper  knowledge  of  the  in- 
gredients and  their  proper  use. 

The  construction  of  foundations  and  super- 
structure walls,  of  earth,  sand,  and  gravel, 
with  some  cementing  medium,  as  cement  or 
lime,  is  not  new,  or  very  uncommon.  Pise , 
or  en  pise , a species  of  concrete  wall,  was  prac- 
ticed at  a very  early  period,  in  the  district  of 
Lyons,  France.*  It  was  also  known  and 


* For  our  climate,  it  might  bo  found  necessary  to  cover 
the  outside  of  the  walls  with  a rough  cast  of  cement  to  pro- 
tect them. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


45 


used  to  a considerable  extent,  in  Italy  and 
Spain,  and,  at  a more  modern  date,  in  Eng- 
land, as  illustrated  in  Woburn  Abbey,  by  the 
statement  of  Montbrison.  The  London  Bui Id- 
er  for  1866  and  1867  contains  communications" 
upon  the  subject  of  modern  concrete  building 
in  London  and  Paris,  highly  encouraging  to 
us.  Four  and  six-roomed  houses  for  working- 
men are  built  there,  at  a cost  extremely  low 
in  comparison  with  our  rates  for  building,  and 
with  evident  system  and  thoroughness. 

The  early  Romans  employ ed  concrete  andpise 
in  their  vast  civil  and  military  works,  and  near- 
ly every  research  of  antiquity  has  proven  its  uti- 
lity for  structural  purposes.  In  some  sections  of 
our  own  country,  concrete  has  been  employed 
for  building  successfully.  I have  seen  fair  mo- 
dels on  the  line  of  the  Erie  Railway,  between 
New  York  and  Goshen.  At  South  Orange, 
N.  J.,  a large  dwelling,  octagonal  in  form,  has 
been  built,  and,  I am  informed,  is  a most 
successful  experiment.  Our  eminent  advocate 
of  social  reform,  Mr.  Fowler,  has  demonstrat- 


46 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


ed  practically  the  economy  and  durability  of 
concrete  walls,  by  building  a dwelling. 

In  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  commodious 
dwellings  have  been  built,  which,  in  respect  to 
absorbtion,  are  superior  to  any  of  brick  or 
stone. 

With  abundant  material  for  concrete  walls, 
in  every  direction  from  the  metropolis,  up  and 
down  the  Hudson,  on  the  east  and  west  bank, 
and  for  miles  back  from  the  Staten  Island 
shore  ; on  Long  Island,  and  the  slopes  of  the 
Orange  mountains  ; at  Summit,  N.  J.,  upon 
nearly  every  building  site  of  Putnam  and 
Westchester  Counties,  it  seems  almost  incredible 
in  view  of  the  great  demand  for  cheap,  com- 
fortable and  durable  houses,  that  concrete  has 

not  been  a favorite  material  among  builders 
and  house  owners.  It  is  doubtless  owing,  in 
some  degree,  to  the  want  of  skilled  labor  ; but 
skillful  laborers  for  this  work  will  never  be 
produced  by  waiting.  The  work  that  is  to  de- 
velop the  proper  skill  should  now  be  begun.* 

* In  referring  to  the  London  Builder , for  1866,  and  later 
numbers  for  1867,  we  find  the  subject  of  concrete  building 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


47 


ELEMENTS  OF  A GOOD  CONCRETE. 

There  are  three  methods  of  making  a good 
concrete.  The  ordinary  mode,  and  the  one 
most  successful  with  us,  and  most  economical, 
where  the  locality  supplies  sand  and  gravel, 
may  he  conducted  as  follows  : 

If  a medium  size  building,  two  stories  high, 


attracting  the  attention  it  deserves,  for  dwelling  houses,  in 
both  England  and  France.  We  quote  from  a communica- 
tion to  the  Builder , in  June,  1866,  by  W.  E.  Newton,  a 
French  civil  engineer : “ Having  some  important  works  to 
carry  out  in  France,  I made  it  my  business,  some  time 
since,  to  minutely  examine  some  six-roomed  houses,  that 
were  being  built  by  Messrs.  Tall  & Hartley,  in  concrete, 
with  their  patent  apparatus.  I spent  some  time  at  Bexley, 
in  very  carefully  examining  the  mode  of  construction,  and 
in  testing  their  strength,  and,  although  perfectly  satisfied, 
I determined,  in  order  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  to 
carry  on  some  works  under  my  own  eye  and  superintend- 
ence. This  I accordingly  did,  at  Norwood,  near  the  Crys- 
tal Palace.” 

As  to  the  strength  of  concrete  walla,  he  says,  “ I am  now  so 
convinced  of  the  immense  strength  of  concrete  walls,  and  the 
^ great  economy  of  the  system,  that  I am  about  to  proceed  to 
carry  out  my  works  in  Paris  on  the  new  plan.” 

And  with  reference  to  the  economy,  he  continues,  “lam 
employing  only  common  day  laborers  to  mix  the  concrete 
and  fill  in  the  apparatus,  and  doing  all  that  is  required. 
The  plastering,  I find,  comes  to  just  one -half  in  labor  and 
materials  what  is  usually  paid  for  brick  walls.” 


48 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


then  plan  to  build  the  wall  12  in.  thick;  con- 
struct moulds  of  rough  1 1 or  2-in.  plank,  about 
8 ft.  long,  12  in.  wide,  and  12  in.  deep.  If  a 
number  of  piers  are  likely  to  occur,  between 
doors  and  windows,  less  than  the  length  of  a 
mould  in  breadth,  then  construct  some  shorter 
moulds  to  accomodate  these  piers  as  nearly  as 
possible,  secure  the  moulds  together,  and  in 
their  proper  position,  by  fastening  the  four 
lower  corners  with  I -inch  wrought  iron  rods 
with  screw  thread  and  nuts  on  the  outer  ends, 
to  turn  up  on  the  outside  faces  v of  the  plank, 
until  they  are  adjusted  to  the  thickness  of 
wall.  Secure  the  tops  with  iron  holdfasts  of 
1x1  inch  wrought  iron,  to  fit  down  over  the 
top  edges  of  the  plank,  and  made  somewhat 
like  a shoemaker’s  measuring  rule  with  one 
sliding  end  to  adjust  to  any  thickness  of  wall, 

the  sliding  foot  fastened 
by  an  iron  pin  from  be- 
hind and  passing  through 
the  horizontal  arm,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  19. 

The  mould  is  disengaged  after  the  wall  has 


Fig.  19. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


49 


set  sufficiently,  by  turning  off  the  nuts  at  the 
bottom  on  one  side,  and  lifting  up  the  clamps 
at  the  top,  the  rods  being  drawn  out  of  the 
wall  in  removing  the  other  side  of  the  mould. 

The  concrete  may  be  mixed  near  the  build- 
ing on  the  ground,  or  In  the  building  in  a 
rough  mortar  box  of  sufficient  capacity  to  hold 
an  extra  mould  of  concrete  in  advance  of  that 
which  is  being  laid  upon  the  wall. 

The  ingredients  for  concrete  should  be  sand, 
gravel,  lime,  or  cement,  in  the  following  pro- 
portions : 

Sand,  ...  2 parts. 

Gravel,  ...  6 “ 

Lime,  ...  1 “ 

If  cement  is  used,  then  proportion  in  this 
way  : 

Sand,  ...  3 parts. 

Gravel,  . . .6  “ 

Cement,  . . 1 “ 

There  may  be  substituted  for  a portion  of 
the  gravel  large  pebbles,  spauls  of  stone  and 
broken  brick.  The  sand  and  lime  or  cement 
form  the  cementing  substance  which  binds  the 


50 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


mass  together,  and  should  he  thoroughly 
worked  together  with  the  gravel  and  stone,  as 
they  are  thus  made  to  resist  greater  pressure 
and  wear.  Sand  should  be  taken  from  the  pit 
with  only  a minimum  of  loam  or  earth.  The 
gravel  need  not  generally  be  screened.  Ce- 
ment is  better  to  mix  with  than  lime,  as  it 
produces  a concrete  of  more  hydraulic  energy, 
and  makes  the  walls  less  absorbant  of  moist- 
ure. Limes  denominated  poor,  and  possess- 
ing a proportion  of  silica  and  iron,  are  nearly 
as  good  as  Roman,  Rosendale,  or  Portland  ce- 
ments. 

A much  larger  proportion  of  sand  and  grav- 
el has  been  employed  with  the  same  propor- 
tion of  lime  and  cement  here  designated,  giv- 
ing a wall  of  medium  strength  and  little  hy- 
draulic energy,  and  requiring  a rough-cast 
outside  for  protection;  15  to  20  parts  sand 
and  gravel  *to  1 of  cement  being  the  propor- 
tions used. 

Gravel  8 parts,  and  lime  or  cement  1 part, 
have  been  used,  the  proportion  of  gravel  being 
as  high  in  some  cases  as  12  parts. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


51 


Concrete  walls  may  be  constructed  with  a 
hollow  space  easily,  by  inserting  a wooden 
core  lh  or  2 inches  thick  in  the  centre  of  the 
wall  enclosed  by  each  mould,  and  removing  it 
with  the  mould,  and  thus  made  to  possess  all* 
the  advantages  of  a hollow  brick  wall. 

Door  and  window  frames  should  be  set  and 
worked  up  to  as  the  work  progresses.  The 
principal  corners  of  the  building  should  be 
carried  up  against  a scantling,  set  plumb,  and 
stay-lathed  in  place,  and  in  working  up  be- 
tween these  on  the  sides  of  the  building 
stretch  a line  for  the  outside  face,  and  adjust 
the  mould  to  it  as  in  stone  or  brickwork.  Scaf- 
folding should  be  erected  on  the  inside  of  the 
walls.  The  partitions  should  be  carried  up 
with  the  outside  walls,  and  grounds  set  for  the 
openings.  Bonds  should  be  inserted  1x2  inch- 
es and  24  inches  long,  alternated,  to  receive 
the  interior  wooden  finish  ; at  the  division  of 
each  story,  beam  plates,  2x4  or  5 inches, 
should  be  laid  to  receive  the  beams,  and  tie 
anchors  should  fasten  or  tie  the  trimmers  and 
principal  beams  and  walls  together.  Wall 


52 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


plates  for  the  roof  should  be  anchored  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  stone  or  brickwork.  Flues 
may  be  carried  up  by  inserting  a round  core 
with  a handle  to  raise  it  with  the  progress  of 
the  wall.  Breastg  may  be  projected  into  the 
room  of  any  width  by  arching  over  the  fire- 
place with  brick,  and  topping  out  above  the 
roof  with  terra-cotta  or  brick  shafts.  If  it  is 
designed  to  have  a cellar,  footings  of  concrete 
must  be  carried  12  inches  below  the  cellar 
bottom,  and  projected  3 inches  on  each  side 
of  the  superstructure  walls.  The  trenches 
should  be  excavated  the  exact  size  and  filled 
with  concrete,  and  the  earth  back  of  the  foun- 
dations taken  off  5 or  6 inches  to  facilitate  the 
use  of  the  moulds,  and  allow  room  to  set  and 
remove  them.  After  the  walls  are  completed, 
and  before  they  are  thoroughly  dry,  if  it  is 
desired  to  give  the  walls  a highly  finished  ap- 
pearance, the  protrusions  of  concrete  at  the 
junctions  of  the  moulds  can  be  levelled  with 
the  trowel,  and  a thin  coat  of  rough-cast  of 
sharp  screened  sand  three  parts  and  cement 
one  part,  plain  or  colored,  can  be  laid  over 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


53 


the  surface  and  floated  evenly  down.  If  the 
walls  are  to  he  left  plain,  or  without  the  ex- 
terior coat,  the  protrusions  on  the  surface 
must  be  removed,  and  the  floating  of  the  sur- 
face carried  on  as  the  walls  are  built  up. 

AGGLOMERATED  CONCRETE. 

A second  mode  of  building  a concrete  wall, 
consists  of  first  grinding  the  mass  of  ingredients 
together  with  the  addition  of  less  than  l the 
quantity  of  water  used  for  the  same  bulk  in 
mortar.  The  grinding  is  continued  until  a 
tough  paste  is  formed,  which,  placed  in  the 
moulds  in  thin  layers  and  rammed  hard,  set 
with  rapidity,  and  become  hard  as  stone.  The 
proportions  for  this  work  are  as  follows  : 

Pit  sand,  ...  3 parts. 

Slaked  lime,  . . .1  “ 

Portland  cement,  . k 11 
A third  mode  consists  of  concrete  blocks 
that  may  be  moulded  the  thickness  of  the  wall 
and  24  to  30  inches  long,  with  hollows  in  the 
middle  of  each,  or  in  the  form  of  a common 
brick,  and  laid  with  stretcher  and  header 


54 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


courses.  The  ingredients  may  be  the  same  as 
for  agglomerated  concrete,  and  made  in  the 
same  proportions.  The  mass  should  be  mixed 
or  ground  together  in  such  a manner  that  the 
lime  be  brought  mechanically  in  contact  with  ■' 
the  particles  of  sand,  using  as  little  water  as 
possible ; and  after  acquiring  the  proper  con- 
sistency it  should  be  placed  in  moulds  and  sub- 
jected to  immense  pressure. 

A firm  in  New  York  city,  styled  “The  Ame- 
rican Building  Block  Company,”  are  manufac- 
turing a concrete  block  or  brick  chiefly  of  lime 
and  sand,  of  which  they  speak  as  follows  : 

“The  Building  Blocks  are  composed  of  the 
cheapest  known  materials — mainly  sand  and 
lime — and  are  made  in  such  form  and  size, 
that  walls  can  be  constructed  from  them  as 
cheaply  as  with  good  common  bricks. 

“The  shape  is  entirely  uniform,  with  sharp, 
well  defined  fines,  and  they  can  be  made  of 
every  variety  of  shade,  from  a pure  white  to 
a dark  brown  or  stone  color. 

“These  blocks,  as  now  manufactured,  are 
10  inches  long,  5 inches  wide,  and  4 inches 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


55 


thick,  containing  200  cubic  inches,  and  weigh- 
ing about  12  pounds  each;  they  have  an  air 
chamber  running  through  the  centre. 

“The  blocks,  from  the  nature  of  the  mate- 
rial used,  and  the  severe  pressure  to  which 
they  are  subjected  in  process  of  manufacture, 
are  very  durable  in  their  character,  as  it  is  a 
well  known  and  established  fact  that  mortar 
composition,  properly  made,  is  the  most  en- 
during of  all  substances,  withstanding  expo- 
sure for  centuries,  and  constantly  growing 
harder  by  atmospheric  changes,  until  it  be- 
comes a perfect  stone. 

“These  blocks  have  been  subjected  to  every 
conceivable  test — have  been  immersed  in  wa- 
ter until  they  have  absorbed  all  the  moisture 
which  they  could  hold,  and  in  that  condition 
they  have  been  exposed  to  severe  frosts,  and 
then  thawed,  and  the  same  process  repeated 
again  and  again.  After  being  subjected  to  all 
the  alternations  of  the  atmosphere,  the  result 
in  all  cases  has  proved  the  indestructibility  of 
the  block. 

1 1 They  are  composed  of  such  materials,  that, 


56 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


so  long  as  the  laws  of  chemistry  hold  good, 
time  will  but  make  them  more  durable.’7 

EN  PISE. 

The  French,  in  the  district  of  Lyons,  have 
long  practiced  a very  economical  mode  of 
building,  with  earth  and  semi-gravel  mixture, 
termed  en  pise,  or  pisay,  and  with  such  success 
as  to  raise  walls  three,  and  even  four  stories 
high. 

The  following  abridged  description  of  this 
method  is  by  Mr.  Stewart,  from  the  account 
of  M.  Francois  Cointereaux,  who  published  a 
work  at  Paris,  describing  en  pise  construction, 
in  1791  : The  manner  of  operation  is  merely 
by  compressing  earth  in  moulds  or  cases,  that 
we  may  arrive  at  building  houses  of  any  size 
or  height.  All  earths  are  fit  for  the  purpose, 
when  they  have  not  the  stiffness  of  clay,  or 
the  lightness  of  poor  lands  ; all  earths  which 
are  fit  for  vegetation ; brick  earth  ; and,  more 
particularly,  strong  earths  with  a mixture  of 
small  gravel.  The  following  are  given  as  in- 
dications that  the  earth  is  fit  for  this  purpose  : 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


57 


(1)  when  a spade  or  plough  brings  up  large 
lumps  of  earth  at  a time  ; (2)  when  arable 
land  lies  in  clods  or  lumps  ; (3)  when  field- 
mice  have  made  their  abode  in  it ; (4)  when 
the  roads  of  a village,  having  been  worn  away 
by  the  water  running  continually  over  and 
through  them,  are  lower  than  the  contiguous 
lands,  and  the  sides  of  these  roads  support 
themselves  almost  upright ; (5)  when  we  find 
a difficulty  in  breaking  the  little  clods  of  earth 
in  the  road  with  the  finger  ; and  (6)  whenever 
deep  ruts  are  observed  in  the  road.  In  digg- 
ing cellars  and  trenches  for  building,  it  most 
commonly  happens  that  what  comes  out  of 
them  is  fit  for  this  purpose.  "When  the  earth 
that  is  near  at  hand  is  not  of  the  proper  kind, 
it  may  often  be  rendered  so  by  mixing.  The 
principle  of  mixing  is  very  simple ; strong 
earths  must  be  mixed  with  light,  those  in 
which  clay  predominates  with  others  that  are 
composed  more  of  sand,  those  of  a rich  gluti- 
nous substance  with  others  poorer  and  more 
barren.  The  proportion  of  the  mixture  must 
be  determined  by  the  degree  in  which  these 

3* 


58 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES . 


different  qualities  prevail,  and  must  be  learned 
by  practice.  With  the  earth  may  be  mixed 
some  small  pebbles,  gravel,  rubbish  of  mortar, 
etc.  ; but  all  animal  or  vegetable  substances, 
or  anything  liable  to  corruption,  must  be  care- 
fully excluded.  Well  worked  earth,  in  which 
there  is  a mixture  of  gravel,  in  about  two 
years’  time  becomes  so  hard,  that  a chisel  must 
be  applied  to  break  it,  as  though  it  were  free- 
stone. 

The  following  is  one  of  the  experiments  re- 
commended to  ascertain  the  goodness  of  the 
earth  : Take  a wooden  tub  without  a bottom, 
dig  a hole  in  the  ground,  fix  a flat  piece  of 
stone  level  at  the  bottom,  place  the  tub  on  it 
and  ram  it  tight  all  round  with  earth  ; then 
ram  into  the  tub  the  earth  you  intend  to  try 
(which  must  be  dug  from  a little  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  that  it  may  not  be  too 
dry  or  too  moist,)  putting  in  at  each  time 
about  the  thickness  of  three  or  four  finger 
breadths,  ramming  it  well  in,  till  it  is  filled  up 
to  the  brim  ; make  the  earth  at  the  surface  of 
the  tub  perfectly  smooth  and  even  ; then  take 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


59 


up  the  tub  from  out  of  the  ground,  with  the 
earth,  or  pise,  in  it ; turn  the  tub  upside  down, 
and  let  the  pise  out,  or,  if  it  should  stick  fast, 
let  it  dry  in  the  air  for  twenty -four  hours, 
when  you  will  find  it  loose  enough  to  drop  out 
of  itself ; keep  this  lump  of  pise  exposed  to 
the  air,  but  sheltered  from  any  rain  that  might 
chance  to  fall,  and  if  it  continue  without  crack- 
ing or  crumbling,  and  increase  daily  in  density 
and  compactness,  it  is  a certain  proof  that  it  is 
fit  for  building.  If  the  earth  be  not  well 
pressed  round  the  outside  of  the  tub  while  fill- 
ing, the  pressure  of  that  which  you  are  ram- 
ming in  the  inside  will  assuredly  burst  it,  even 
though  the  hoops  be  of  iron.  The  earth,  as 
dug  up  for  pise , should  be  well  raked  with  a 
rake  of  about  an  inch  and  a half  between  each 
tooth,  so  as  to  leave  in  it  the  small  stones  and 
pebbles,  which  are  no  larger  than  a walnut,  as 
they  will  add  to  the  strength  of  the  mass.  In 
mixing  different  kinds  of  earth,  a portion  of 
each  should  be  thrown  alternately  on  the  heap, 
in  the  proportions  found  requisite,  whilst  an- 
other pei  son  mixes  them  together.  No  more 


60 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


earth  should  be  prepared  at  once  than  is  suffi- 
cient for  one  day’s  work  ; and,  if  rain  be  ex- 
pected, you  must  have  at  hand  planks  or  mats 
to  cover  with  the  moment  it  begins  ; for  the 
earth  can  not  be  used  when  either  too  dry  or 
too  wet ; if  the  latter,  the  workmen  will  be 
obliged  to  wait  till  it  has  gained  its  proper 
consistency  ; if  the  former,  it  may  easily  be 
moistened  by  sprinkling  it  with  a little  water  ; 
when  wet  in  any  considerable  degree,  the 
workmen  had  better  stop  the  work. 

The  implements  used  in  building  en  pise, 
which  are  few  and  of  very  simple  construction, 
are  shown  in  Fig.  20. 


a,  is  the  head  of  the  mould  as  seen  out- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


61 


side  ; b,  the  other  side  as  seen  inside ; c,  c, 
the  joists  in  which  the  upright  post  is  secured 
by  the  wedges  e,  e;  f,  a round  piece  of  wood 
called  the  wall  gauge ; g,  one  of  the  upright 
posts,  with  its  tenon  to  enter  the  mortise  in 
the  joist.  In  our  Figure  the  parts  are  shown 
both  separately  and  connected  in  their  places 
for  use. 

To  make  good  walls  of  pise,  the  earth  must 
not  only  be  well  beaten,  but  they  must  be 
well  united  together.  In  this  mode  of  con- 
struction, in  place  of  the  angles  or  binders  of 
freestone  used  in  buildings,  only  a few  thin 
pieces  of  wood  is  necessary,  with  a few  cramps 
and  nails,  to  give  the  greatest  solidity.  In 
one  single  day  three  courses,  each  about  three 
feet  high,  may  be  raised  one  over  another, 
forming  a wall  of  about  eight  or  nine  feet; 
and  it  has  been  proved  by  experience  that  as 
soon  as  the  builders  have  raised  their  walls  to 
a proper  height  for  the  flooring,  the  heaviest 
beams  and  rafters  may  be  placed  on  the  walls 
when  newly  made,  and  that  the  thickest  tim- 
ber of  the  roof  may  be  placed  on  the  gables 


62 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  very  instant  they  are  completed.  When 
the  first  course  is  laid  on  the  front  and  inner 
walls,  and  before  the  second  course  is  begun, 
the  evenness  and  strength  of  the  whole  will  be 
increased  by  placing  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mould  a board  about  five  or  six  inches  long, 
and  an  inch  thick,  resting  on  the  opposite  an- 
gle, and  so  broad  that  there  may  remain  on 
each  side  four  or  five  inches  of  the  earth  of  the 
wall,  which  should  be  about  eighteen  inches 
thick ; and  the  board,  being  concealed  in  the 
body  of  the  pise,  will  be  out  of  the  reach  of 
the  air  or  of  damp,  and  of  course  there  will  be 
no  danger  of  its  decaying.  The  board,  should  be 
rough  from  the  saw.  These  boards  need  only 
be  placed  at  the  angles  of  exterior  walls,  and 
in  those  parts  where  the  partition  walls  join  it. 
It  is  also  advisable,  particularly  where  the 
earth  is  not  of  a very  good  quality,  to  put  ends 
of  planks  into  the  pise,  after  it  has  been 
rammed  to  about  half  the  height  of  the  mould; 
they  should  be  only  ten  or  eleven  inches  long, 
to  leave,  as  before,  a few  inches  of  the  earth 
of  the  wall  on  each  side.  Having  determined 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


63 


the  height  of  each  story,  boards  three  or  four 
feet  long  should  be  placed  beforehand  in  the 
pise  where  the  beams  are  to  be  fixed,  and  the 
beams  may  be  laid  on  for  each  story,  as  soon 
as  the  mould  is  moved  from  the  place,  the  pise 
being  continued  as  high  as  the  place  you  in- 
tend for  the  roof.  The  openings  for  the  doors 
and  windows  must  be  left,  as  you  build  the 
walls,  by  placing  within  the  mould  one  or  two 
of  the  heads  of  the  mould  as  may  be  requisite, 
where  the  opening  is  to  commence. 

They  should  be  made  sloping  a little,  to 
leave  room  for  the  frames  and  sashes.  The 
chimney  pieces  are  laid  in  the  same  manner  as 
common  buildings,  and  the  flues  are  made  of 
brick  work,  and  firmly  connected  with  the 
walls.  The  apartments  may  be  very  hand- 
somely furnished  without  making  any  jambs 
to  the  inside  doors,  as  the  facings  of  wood  to 
the  earthen  wall  will  render  them  unnecessary. 
In  making  very  long  walls,  as  for  parks,  etc., 
it  will  be  found  requisite  to  set  several  moulds 
to  work  at  the  same  time  in  different  places, 
for  the  sake  of  speed. 


64 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


The  rich  traders  of  Lyons  have  no  other 
way  than  this  of  building  their  country  hous- 
es, and  many  are  known  to  have  lasted  for  up- 
wards of  a hundred  and  sixty  years.  An  out- 
side covering  by  painting  in  fresco,  the  way 
most  commonly  used,  entirely  conceals  the 
nature  of  the  building,  and  many  of  these  edi- 
fices are  extremely  handsome.  The  plaster 
for  the  outside  of  jpise  walls  differs  from  that 
used  on  other  walls,  and  it  requires  to  be  laid 
on  at  a proper  time.  When  a house  is  begun 
in  February,  and  completed  in  April,  the  cov- 
ering may  be  laid  on  in  Autumn,  that  is,  five 
or  six  months  after  it  is  finished  ; if  finished 
in  the  beginning  of  November,  it  may  be  laid 
on  the  ensuing  Spring.  If  it  be  laid  on  before 
the  dampness  of  the  wall  is  gone  off,  it  will  be 
liable  to  come  off.  To  prepare  the  walls  for 
plastering,  they  should  be  notched  with  the 
point  of  a hatchet  or  a hammer,  the  little  dents 
thus  made  being  very  near  each  other.  The 
wall  should  afterwards  be  run  over  with  a stiff 
brush,  to  detach  all  loose  particles.  A scaffold 
may  be  quickly  erected  in  the  holes  which  the 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


65 


joists  of  the  mould  have  left.  Two  kinds  of 
plaster  may  be  used,  rough-cast  or  stucco. 
The  former  consists  of  a small  quantity  of  mor- 
tar diluted  with  water  in  a tub,  to  which  a 
trowel  of  pure  lime  is  added,  so  as  to  make  it 
about  the  thickness  of  cream. 

Stucco  is  only  poor  mortar,  made  in  a clean 
place  near  the  lime  pit,  and  carried  to  the  ma- 
sons on  the  scaffold.  The  rough-cast  is  laid  on 
by  first  sprinkling  the  wall  with  a brush,  and 
then  dipping  another  brush  made  of  bits  of 
reed,  box,  etc.,  into  the  rough-cask  which  is 
thrown  as  equally  as  possible  against  the  wall ; 
as  he  lowers  the  scaffold,  the  workman  can  fill 
up  the  joist  holes  with  stones,  or  old  plaster, 
etc. 

In  stuccoing,  one  man  sprinkles  the  wall 
with  a brush,  and  lays  on  the  stucco  with  a 
trowel,  while  another  follows  him,  sprinkles 
water  over  the  mortar  thus  laid,  and  smooths 
it  with  a wood  flout.  It  may  be  whitened 
with  lime  as  it  is  laid  on. 


66 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


WOODEN  WALLS. 

Wood,  so  abundant  in  our  country,  and  so 
readily  adapted  to  a rapid  civilization,  is  now, 
and  will  continue  for  some  time  to  be,  our 
chief  material  for  domestic  buildings  of  all 
kinds.  Cut  into  deals  and  scantlings,  it  has 
been  accommodated  to  various  modes  of  con- 
struction, some  requiring  a correct  and  full 
knowledge  of  constructive  science,  and  a skill- 
ful execution  ; and  some  easily  managed  by 
the  simplest  rules  of  carpentry. 

Our  first  experience  naturally  began  with 
that  primitive  dwelling  so  common  in  the  early 
history  of  the  United  States  : the  “Log House, ” 
— a picturesque  structure, — the  home  of  the 
pioneer,  and  simplest  of  all  wooden  wall  con- 
struction. Examples  may  now  be  seen  in  the 
newly  settled  timber  regions  of  the  middle  and 
western  states,  built  by  the  industrious  arm 
and  practical  good  sense  of  the  pioneer  wood- 
man and  farmer,  with  a single  tool,  the  ax. 

To  an  advanced  type  of  the  log  house,  as 
the  “ hewed  face,”  and  inner  plastered  one,  we 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


67 


are  indebted  for  changes  and  improved  modes 
of  construction,  from  which  eventually  grew 
a half  dozen  other,  more  modern  and  perfect 
styles  of  wooden  wall  construction,  some  of 
which  it  is  proposed  to  describe  in  the  follow- 
ing order : 

1.  The  Mortice  and  Tenon  Frame,  0.  S. 

2.  The  Skeleton  Frame,  N.  S. 

3.  The  Plank  Frame. 

4.  The  Skeleton  Plank  Frame. 

5.  The  Balloon  Frame. 

Many  of  the  old  builders  of  the  present,  are 
familiar  with  the  process  of  manufacturing  a 
timber  frame,  old  style.  The  man  that  could 
precede  his  workmen  to  the  forest,  armed 
with  square,  scratch-awl,  and  broad-axe,  and 
without  a plan  delineated  upon  paper,  execute 
a frame  upon  the  simplest  geometrical  prin- 
ciples, yet,  in  accordance  with  the  practice  of 
that  day,  was  held  to  possess  every  qualifica- 
tion for  a master  builder.  Naturally  enough, 
the  proportions  given  to  the  pieces  or  timbers 
of  the  old  style  frame,  were  governed  by  cus- 
tomary and  convenient  sizes  of  timber  used  in  . 


68 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  primitive  “log  house  ;”  and  in  the  “block 
house,”  a subsequent  and  improved  style  of 
building  with  the  log,  wherever  the  logs  were 
reduced  from  a round  to  a square  form  by 
being  first  “scored,”  then  hewed,  and  some- 
times “counter  hewed,”  and  averaging  in 
size  10,  12,  and  14  inches. 

During  an  early  apprenticeship  we  have  as- 
sisted to  erect  old  style  timber  frames  for 
dwellings  and  barns,  where  the  chief  builders, 
as  a common  rule  of  practice,  had  no  clear 
idea  or  intention  of  adjusting  the  sizes  of  the 
pieces  in  the  frame  to  the  approximate  tensile 
and  compressile  strains,  the  building  would 
have  to  undergo.  The  precaution  was  usually 
taken  to  obtain  without  doubt,  according  to 
the  best  judgment  in  such  cases,  strength 
enough,  and  the  well  known  result  was,  a huge 
and  massive  frame,  whose  timbers  for  the  prin- 
< cipal  parts  were  usually  larger  than  any  re- 
quired for  the  husk  frame  of  a mill,  and  hence 
requiring  an  unnecessary  expenditure  of  ma- 
terial and  labor,  and  a large  force  to  laise  and 
.put  it  in  a perpendicular  position. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


69 


The  sizes  of  the  several  parts  averaged  as 
follows  : 

Sills,  10x12,  12x12,  and  12x16  inches. 

Posts,  8x8,  8x12,  and  10x12  inches. 

Plates,  6x8,  8x10,  and  12  inches. 

Purlins,  6x6  and  8x10  inches. 

Braces,  4x4  and  4x6  inches. 

Studs,  4x4  and  4x6  inches. 

Floor  beams,  6 or  8 inches  in  diameter,  with 
the  upper  side  hewed  flat,  to  receive  the  floor- 
ing. For  girths  and  beams,  plate  and  post  sizes 
were  usually  employed. 

To  execute  a frame  in  the  old  style,  re- 
quires double  the  outlay  for  labor  that  the 
modern  frame  does.  End  sills  are  framed  into 
side  sills,  mortices  are  “beat”  on  the  top  to 
receive  the  tenons  of  the  posts,  and  also 
for  all  the  vertical  posts  or  studs,  20  to 
30  inches,  all  round.  The  girths  and  beams 
must  be  mortised  likewise  on  the  underside, 
to  receive  the  upper  ends  or  tenons  of  the 
studs,  and  on  the  upper  sides  to  receive  the 
studs  of  the  second  story.  All  braces  are 
framed  into  the  posts  and  the  horizontal  ties, 


70 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


beams,  or  girths,  and  no  studs  are  allowed  to 
be  cut  except  above  and  below  braces  and 
door  and  window  openings.  If  hewn  timber 
is  employed  for  the  frame,  all  mortices  must 
be  “boxed,’7  and  tenons  “ relished 77  or  “sized,77 
an  additional  item  of  labor  not  required  for 
sawed  timber  frames. 

Except  for  farm  barns,  mills  for  grinding 
grain,  and  for  manufacturing  purposes,  this 
mode  is  nearly  obsolete,  because  it  requires  a 
large  amount  of  labor  to  execute  ; timber, 
unnecessarily  large,  and  destroyed  some 
room,  wherever  it  was  necessary  to  furr  off 
the  walls  for  the  purpose  of  shutting  in  the 
angles  of  the  posts  ^nd  beams. 

The  Skeleton  Frame , or  new  style  of  mor- 
tice and  tenon  frame,  built  wholly  of  sawed 
timber,  is  common  and  popular  in  all  locali- 
ties, and  the  mode  most  frequently  and  uni- 
formly practiced  by  builders  for  every  grade 
of  domestic  frame  building. 

The  chief  timbers  only  are  mortised  and 
tenoned,  and  secured  together  by  seasoned  pins 
of  hard  wood.  They  comprise  sills,  posts, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


71 


girths,  ties,  and  plates,  and  when  raised  to 
proper  positions,  form  the  outline,  or  skeleton 
of  the  frame,  which  is  afterwards  filled  in  with 
story  posts  or  studs,  usually  (for  dwellings)  16 
inches  from  centers  all  around,  cut  the  exact 
length,  and  nailed  in  three  places,  top  and  bot- 
tom. Diagonal  braces  are  likewise  cut  in,  and 
secured  with  nails.  The  floor  beams  of  the 
first  story  are  framed  into  the  sills,  12  and  16 
inches  from  centers.  The  second  and  third 
story  floor  beams  are  laid  upon  the  girths,  and 
consequently  require  no  framing.  The  sizes 
ordinarily  used  for  this  mode,  in  two  and  three 
story  dwellings,  are  as  follows : 

Sills,  4x8  and  6x8  inches. 

Posts,  4x8  inches. 

Girths,  4x8  inches. 

Plates,  4x6  and  4x8  inches. 

Story  posts,  or  filling  in  studs,  3x4  and 
2x4  inches. 

Floor  beams,  3x9  and  3x10  inches. 

Studs,  doubled  about  the  openings. 

These  are  the  ordinary  merchantable  yard 
sizes,  proportioned  to  the  ordinary  requirements 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


of  house  building,  but  not  wholly  suited  to 
special  cases  in  large  buildings,  either  for  dwell- 
ing or  trade  purposes,  where  the  strain  and 
weight  must  be  provided  for  with  more  care 
and  certainty.  To  meet  any  such  special  de- 
mand in  the  construction  of  a frame,  the  fol- 
lowing rules  may  be  employed : 

To  determine  the  size  of  a rectangular  post, 
capable  of  sustaining  a given  pressure  in  the 
direction  of  its  length.  The  constant  number  or 
value  of  pine  and  of  spruce,  may  be  represent- 
ed by  0,00150,  and  that  of  hemlock  by  0,00160. 

Rule — multiply  together  the  weight  or  pres- 
sure in  pounds,  the  square  of  the  length  in 
feet,  and  the  value,  or  constant  number,  for 
the  kind  of  wood.  Divide  this  product  by  the 
breadth  in  inches,  and  the  cube  root  of  the 
quotient  will  be  the  thickness  in  inches. 

Example — Let  the  height  of  a post  of  white 
pine  be  10  feet,  its  breadth  8 inches,  and  the 
weight  it  will  be  required  to  carry  5 tons  or 
10,000  pounds.  The  constant  number  or  value  of 

pme  is  0,00150,  therefore, 8 

~188  nearly,  and  the  cube  root  of  188  is 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


73 


5*72  inches:  then  5 inches  is  the  thickness  re- 
quired, or  a post  to  bear  the  above  weight 
should  he  5x8  inches  if  10  feet  long. 

To  find  the  depth  of  floor  beams  of  pine  or 
spruce,  the  length  of  bearing  and  breadth  or 
thickness,  being  given. 

Rule — Divide  the  square  of  the  length  in 
feet  by  the  breadth  or  thickness  in  inches,  and 
the  cube  root  of  the  quotient  multiplied  by  2*2 
will  give  the  depth  in  inches. 

Example — Required  the  depth  of  a floor 
beam  of  white  pine  or  spruce.  The  bearing 
15  feet  and  thickness  two  inches,  = 112 
nearly  and  the  cube  root  of  112  is  4T7  about, 
*2*2  = 9T74  inches,  the  depth  required  for 
beams  12  inches  from  centers;* — or  10  inches 
is  near  enough  for  practice  ; hence  the  size  of 
beams  required  for  the  above  bearing  would 
be  2x10  inches  in  single -joist ed  floors. 

The  Plank  Frame  mode  is  not  known  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  City,  but  builders  in  the 
western  counties  of  the  State,  and  portions  of 

* For  miscellaneous  rules,  see  Tredgold’s  Principles  of 
Carpentry,  &c. 

4 


74 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


the  West,  are  familiar  with  its  construction,  and 
esteem  it  a strong,  warm,  and  economical  mode 
of  building.  We  have  erected  several  dwell- 
ings in  this  style,  and  have  found  them  peculiar- 
ly adapted  for  strength  and  warmth  to  our  na- 
turally severe  and  changeable  climate.  As  for 
facility  of  construction,  the  plank  frame  is  not 
equaled  by  the  celebrated  Balloon  Frame  mode. 

The  following  is  the  manner  of  building  this 
frame : 

Provide  and  fix  sills  upon  the  foundations,  as 
for  an  ordinary  frame  ; and  if  the  dwelling  is 
to  be  two  stories,  or  one  and  a half,  use  rough, 
straight- edged  hemlock  or  spruce  plank  1| 
inches  thick ; of  the  required  length  for  the 
sides,  provide  and  fix  over  the  sills  and  first 
floor  beams,  the  second  story  beams,  or  girths, 
of  a corresponding  size,  framed  and  secured  to- 
gether at  the  angles,  and  squared  and  “stay- 
lathed.”  Erect  at  each  corner  of  the  frame, 
two  planks  plumbed,  and  securely  nailed  to  the 
sills,  so  that  the  edge  of  one  will  ‘ 4 overlap  ” 
and  nail  on  the  edge  of  the  other.  The  edges 
of  both  being  plumbed  before  they  are  finally 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


75 


nailed  to  the  sills.  The  plank  corners,  which 
during  the  erection  of  the  frame  take  the 
place  of  posts  in  the  ordinary  or  skeleton 
frame,  are  now  “ stay-lathed”  or  braced  each 
way  with  an  inch  board,  and  the  girths  which 
support  the  second  floor  beams,  and  until  now 
have  been  lying  on  the  top  of  the  sills,  are 
raised  by  the  aid  of  “shores/’  to  the  height 
designated  for  the  first  story,  and  there  sup- 
ported until  they  have  been  secured  at  each 
corner  with  spikes.  Shore  up  the  centers  of 
the  girths  to  keep  them  crowning,  and  plank 
the  sides  of  the  frame  vertically,  edge  to  edge, 
all  around,  nailing  into  sills  and  beams.  Raise 
the  attic  floor  in  the  same  manner  above  the 
second  floor,  nailing  the  loose  upper  ends  to 
the  attic  beams,  or  girths.  After  which,  the 
projecting  ends  of  plank  may  be  sawed  close 
down  to  the  girths.  Rafters  may  now  be 
placed,  and  the  gable  ends  planked ; after 
which  the  openings  for  windows  and  outside 
doors  may  be  laid  out  on  the  outer  surface, 
and  cut  through,  large  enough  to  receive  the 
frames  respectively.  On  the  interior  this  frame 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


76 

is  furred  off  with  1-inch  battens  to  lath  and 
plaster  upon,  as  many  being  placed  over  the 
joints  of  the  planking  as  possible.  The  outside 
is  trimmed  and  weather-boarded  in  the  usual 
manner. 

Skeleton  Plank  Frame.  This  mode  differs 
from  the  preceding  one  in  the  matter  of  plank- 
ing only.  For  this,  narrow  plank  are  used  1 h 
and  2 inches  thick,  and  about  8 inches  wide  ; 
they  are  nailed  vertically  6 or  8 inches  apart 
all  around  on  the  outside  of  the  sills,  covered 
with  weather-boards  outside,  and  lathed  and 
plastered  inside.  For  a simple  and  cheap  erec- 
tion, this  mode  has  met  with  considerable 
favor ; it  is  not,  however,  as  warm  or  as 
strong  as  the  former  mode,  but  will  answer  the 
requirements  of  construction  for  cheap  one, 
and  one  and  a half  story  houses. 

The  Balloon  Frame,  thus  designated  on  ac- 
count of  the  extreme  lightness  of  some  of  the 
scantlings  composing  the  frame,  as  compared 
with  the  mortise  and  tenon  frame,  and  the 
absence  of  all  principal  timbers,  such  as  sills, 
girths,  beams,  and  plates,  like  many  other 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


77 


simple  modes  of  building,  the  balloon  style  was 
partly  the  result  of  accident  and  partly  of  ex- 
periment, and  was  designed  as  an  economical 
substitute  for  the  old  style  frame,  by  nailing 
pieces  together  instead  of  mortising  and  tenon- 
ing them  together. 

The  style  is  not  popular  or  much  used  by 
eastern  builders,  but  has  been  a favorite  sys- 
tem for  every  class  of  building  in  the  rapidly 
growing  towns  and  cities  of  the  West.  When 
and  where  it  became  an  acknowledged  system 
of  wooden  wall  construction,  I am  not  in- 
formed ; my  first  acquaintance  with  it  was  in 
1855  and  1856,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Chica- 
go, 111.  At  this  time  a number  of  Balloon 
Frames,  so  called,  were  being  erected  in  the 
above  place.  The  mode  may  be  briefly  des- 
cribed as  follows : 

A peculiarity  of  this  frame,  is  the  absence 
of  all  tenons  and  mortises ; angles  are  joined 
by  halving  the  ends  and  nailing  them  together; 
studs  and  braces  are  nailed  in  their  places, 
and  floor  beams  nailed  to  bearings  and  studs 
for  first  floors,  and  to  the  same  studs  over 


78 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


bearings,  or  1 inch  ties,  for  second  and  third 
floors. 

After  the  foundations  have  been  built  and 
properly  leveled,  provide  and  lay  all  around, 
bearings  or  pieces  to  support  the  first  floor-' 
beams,  3x8  or  3x10  inches,  laid  flatwise,  and 
the  outer  edge  either  flush  with  the  wall  face, 
or  back  the  thickness  of  the  water-table, 
Halve  and  spike  the  bearings  together  at  the 
angles,  and  where  required  to  splice  the  pie- 
ces, lay  the  first  floor  beams  of  the  required 
size,  16  inches  from  centers,  from  end  to  end 
of  frame,  starting  the  first  floor  beam  the 
thickness  of  the  first  pair  of  corner  studs  from 
the  end  of  the  frame,  and  finishing  out  with  a 
floor  beam  the  same  distance  back  from  the  face 
of  the  opposite  end ; secure  all  the  beams  on 
edge,  by  nailing  into  the  bearings  or  sills,  and 
nail  in  a course  of  bridging  through  the  center 
of  the  tier.  Now  select  a pair  of  studs  for  each 
floor  beam,  usually  3x4  inches,  for  intermedi- 
ate, and  4x4  inches  for  coiner  studs,  and  long 
enough  to  reach  from  sills  to  plates,  for  14,  2, 
or  24  story  frames;  higher  than  this  they 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


79 


would  require  splicing.  The  selection  of  studs 
being  made  in  pairs,  one  for  each  interval  of 
1G  inches,  saw  them  to  a uniform  length.  Lay 
off  and  cut  a notch  from  the  bottom  up  ; the 
height  of  the  first  story,  and  first  story  beams 
large  enough  to  receive  a tie  and  bearing 
piece  1 inch  thick  by  6 inches  wide.  Select 
and  cut  the  second  floor  beams  to  the  required 
length,  “from  out  to  out/7  one  for  each  pair  of 
studs,  and  spike  the  beams  to  the  studs,  the 
bottom  of  each  beam  to  the  top  of  the  notches 
and  at  right  angles  with  the  studs.  Stay-lath 
with  diagonal  braces.  Then  each  pair  of  studs 
and  a floor  beam  will  form  a bent,  which  is 
raised  to  a perpendicular  position  and  nailed 
at  the  bottom  to  the  bearings  or  sills,  and  also 
to  the  first  floor  beams ; beginning  at  one  end 
of  the  frame,  and  raising  successively  a bent 
or  section  (which  was  previously  nailed  to- 
gether) for  every  space  of  16  inches  from 
front  to  rear.  Now  plumb  the  front  and  rear 
corner  studs  toward  the  gable  ends  of  the 
frame,  and  stay  them.  Prepare  the  1x6  inch 
tie,  previously  referred  to,  the  proper  length, 


80 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


make  the  16  inch  spaces  to  correspond  witlp 
those  marked  on  the  bearings  or  sills,  and  nail 
this  tie  into  the  notches  prepared  just  under 
the  second  floor  beams,  adjusting  the  studs  on 
both  sides  to  their  respective  spaces.  Nail  in 
a course  of  bridging  through  the  center  of  the 
second  floor  tier  of  beams.  Provide  and  fix 
studs  front  and  rear,  or  on  each  gable  end,  ad- 
justing them  to  the  required  openings,  and 
nailing  to  bearings  at  the  bottom,  and  toe-nail- 
ing into  the  flat  face  of  the  outside  floor  beams 
front  and  rear,  in  the  second  story.  Now  pro- 
vide and  fix  plate  pieces  1x4  inches,  or  14x4, 
which  we  think  better,  nailing  them  in  two 
thicknesses,  or  sections,  to  the  top  ends  of  the 
studs,  in  such  a manner  that  the  joints  of  the 
under  piece  will  be  covered  or  broken  by  the 
upper  piece. 

At  this  stage  the  frame  in  this  system  is  con- 
sidered raised,  and  the  enclosing  from  the  sills 
up  to  the  plates  is  begun  by  cutting  out  the 
studs  wherever  an  opening  is  required,  and 
nailing  in  a header  at  the  top  and  bottom, 
hanging  the  door  and  window  frames,  trimming 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


81 


the  frame  with  water-table  and  corner  boards, 
and  laying  the  weather-boards. 

Stair  openings  are  cut  through  the  floor 
beams  wherever  designated  by  the  plan,  and 
trimmed  around  with  headers  spiked  to  the 
ends.  Rafters  are  fixed  as  in  any  ordinary 
frame. 

A wood-cut,  in  “Woodward's  Country 
Homes,”  by  Geo.  E.  Woodward,  illustrates,  in 
an  admirable  manner,  the  important  features  in 
this  system  ; and  we  refer  such  of  our  readers 
as  require  additional  information,  respecting 
balloon  frames,  to  that  and  the  accompanying 
chapter. 

THE  EXTERNAL  COVERING  OF  FRAMES. 

In  the  remarks  preceding,  we  have  briefly 

described  the  manner  of  building  various 

frames,  or  those  parts  of  the  wooden  wall  that 

support  the  floors  and  roof  of  a building-.  A 

finished  wall  includes  an  external  covering,  and 

in  some  cases  a “filling  in”  between  the  studs 

of  brick,  plaster,  or  concrete.  The  covering 

most  common  for  all  frame  dwellings  is  clap- 
4* 


82 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


boards,  h inch  thick  by  5 and  6 inches  wide, 
with  the  upper  edge  slightly  beveled,  so  as  to 
insure  a close  fitting  lap.  These,  as  nearly 
every  one  knows,  are  laid  and  nailed  to  the 
vertical  studs  of  the  frame  horizontally,  with  a 
uniform  lap  of  J to  lk  inches.  To  insure  ad- 
ditional strength,  and  some  additional  warmth, 
the  outside  of  the  frame  is  sheathed  diagonally 
with  1 inch  boards,  and  upon  these  the  clap- 
boards, or  weather-boards,  are  laid.  To  secure 
some  degrees  more  of  warmth,  either  fill  in  be- 
tween the  studs  with  brick,  on  edge,  laid  with 
close  joints  in  lime  mortar,  back  plaster  be- 
tween the  studs,  fill  in  with  concrete,  shingle 
the  sides  0.  S.  over  the  sheathing,  or  lay  fared 
paper,  or  felt,  well  lapped  on  the  sheathing 
before  laying  the  weather-boards. 

These  modes  are  applicable  to  the  balloon, 
as  well  as  the  skeleton,  or  mortise  and  tenon 
frame,  and  we  consider  sheathing  essential  in 
either ; for  the  purpose  of  strengthening  the 
frame  where  there  are  perpendicular  studs,  the 
sheathing  should  be  applied  diagonally  at  an 
angle  of  30°,  in  continuous  courses,  from  one 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


83 


corner  to  another  all  around  the  building, 
breaking  joints  alternately.  We  have  seen  the 
diagonal  method  applied  with  the  angle  re- 
versed on  one  half  of  the  side  and  a perpen- 
dicular joint  run  up  through  the  middle  ; this 
may  be  considered  a constructive  fallacy,  as 
the  object  of  diagonal  sheathing  is  to  prevent, 
as  much  as  possible,  spreading  the  laps  of 
weather-boards,  that  sheathing  applied  hori- 
zontally might  occasion.  In  point  of  strength 
the  horizontal  sheathing  is  best. 

Yertical  boarding  is  another  mode  of  cover- 
ing, and  when  required,  either  the  mortise  and 
tenon,  or  balloon  frame  can  be  prepared  for  it. 
The  former  will  require  story  posts,  or  studs, 
at  the  openings,  and  a series  of  horizontal 
girths,  about  3 feet  apart  from  the  sills  up, 
framed  into  the  posts.  The  girths  for  ordinary 
buildings  should  be  3x5  inches,  and  posts  4x6 
inches,  allowing  for  an  inch  furring,  nailed  16 
inches  from  centers  to  the  girths  to  receive  the 
lath  and  plaster ; this  gives  a wall  equal  in 
strength  and  thickness  to  the  regularly  framed 
wall. 


84 


CO  UN  Til  Y IIO  USES. 


To  provide  for  this  covering  in  the  balloon 
frame,  we  cut  and  nail  in,  rows  of  horizontal 
bridging,  3 feet  apart,  from  sills  to  plates,  using 
wall  strips  or  other  light  yard  timber,  and 
without  disturbing,  or  otherwise  changing  the 
mode.  Yertical  boarding  is  seldom  applied 
unless  designed  as  a finish  for  the  exterior,  in 
which  case  it  should  be  narrow,  mill- worked 
or  matched,  and  thoroughly  seasoned,  accom- 
panied with  the  proper  trimmings,  and  if  joints 
are  to  be  battened,  the  boards  should  not  be 
under  6 inches,  or  exceed  7 inches,  in  width. 
If  no  battens,  the  boards  should  not  exceed  3 
inches  in  width. 

The  external  covering  sometimes  consists  of 
plain  ceiling  laid  horizontally,  and  when  such 
is  the  design,  the  boards  should  be  tongued 
and  grooved,  not  over  3 inches  wide  ; and  it 
is  important  for  the  exclusion  of  wet,  that  in 
laying  them,  the  tongues  should  appear  on  the 
upper  edge,  and  the  grooved  edge  of  each 
course  be  driven  down  over  it.  In  either 
mode,  the  boards  should  be  principally  “ blind 
nailed.” 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


85 


Frames  are  frequently  “ filled  in”  between 
the  studs,  between  the  outer  and  inner  cover- 
ings, to  close  as  many  of  the  crevices  in  the 
outer  wall  as  possible,  and  thus  provide  a 
warmer  dwelling.  The  usual  methods  resort- 
ed to  for  securing  this  end,  are,  the  brick  on 
edge,  concrete  filling,  back-plastering,  and  the 
application  of  tared  paper  well  lapped  on  the 
outside  of  the  sheathing.  If  a frame  is  not  to 
be  sheathed,  it  should  be  filled  in  with  brick 
or  concrete,  (brick  is  the  least  expensive,)  as 
it  is  thereby  steadied  and  enabled  to  oppose 
weight,  to  force  of  winds  in  lieu  of  the 
strength  obtained  by  sheathing.  If  sheathing 
is  employed,  either  back-plaster — as  the  frame 
would  be  sufficiently  stiff  in  this  case  to  allow 
of  it — or  cover  the  sheathing  with  a double 
thickness  of  tared  paper,  which  mode  is  now 
greatly  preferred,  on  account  of  the  elasticity 
of  the  paper  and  the  perfect  manner  in  which 
it  keeps  out  wind  and  rain. 


86 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


THE  ROOF. 

The  roof  is  the  most  important  part  of  a 
dwelling.  Its  design  is  to  afford  protection,  to 
give  character,  and  determine  the  quality  of 
the  building,  besides  rendering  it  attractive 
as  an  architectural  composition  or  design ; and 
as  the  terminal  feature  of  the  building,  it  re- 
quires to  be  accurately  balanced  to  every  re- 
quirement of  style  and  utility. 

Modern  roofs  are  now  constructed  in  a great 
variety  of  forms,  which  indicate  the  license 
allowed  to  fancy  as  well  as  judgment  and 
taste.  Although  we  have  departed  from  the 
systematic  arrangement  of  the  ancients,  in  re- 
gard to  some  portions  of  the  roof,  we  are  still 
able  to  employ  their  classifications  for  other, 
and  more  prominent  parts,  upon  which  its 
strength  and  character  depends,  as  illustrated 
by  the  following : 

Trabes — Wall  plate  or  beam. 

Culmen — Ridge  pole. 

Columen — King  post. 

Transtree — -Principal  rafters. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


87 


Capreoli — Struts  and  braces. 

Canterii — Common  rafters. 

Templa — Pole  plates  and  purlins. 

The  above  terms  designate  parts  of  the  sim- 
pler form  of  span,  or  pediment  roof,  for  nar- 
row spans.  Broad  spans  require  a composite 
truss,  introducing  the  queen  post,  straining  sill 
and  beam,  (tabled  and  bolted,)  and  additional 
studs  and  braces.  They  are  also  applied  to 
such  parts  of  the  hip-roof,  truncated,  French, 
or  revolved  roof,  as  have  a similar  place  in  the 
construction. 

The  styles  of  roof  with  which  American 
builders  are  most  familiarly  acquainted  are, 

The  Span  roof,  double  and  single,  Grecian  % 
and  Gothic  pitch. 

The  Bell  cast  roof. 

The  Truncated  roof. 

The  Hipped  roof. 

The  French,  or  Mansard,  and  curbed  roof. 

The  flat  roof. 

These  styles  are  all  employed  in  our  north- 
ern latitudes  at  varying  angles  of  inclination  to 


88 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  horizon  (according  to  the  materials  em- 
ployed to  cover  them)  from  4°  to  70°. 

Those  pitches  which  have  become  standard 
in  the  styles  of  architecture,  are  the  Grecian, 
requiring  an  inclination  of  12°  to  16° ; the  Ro- 
man, 22°  to  24° ; the  Gothic,  45°  to  60° ; and 
the  Elizabethan,  60°  to  70°.  Roofs  covered 
with  tin,  concrete,  or  gravel,  require  a pitch  of 
4°.  Slates,  shingles,  or  tiles,  require  a pitch 
not  less  than  22  h°,  and  may  be  suitably  em- 
ployed on  any  pitch  from  this,  to  60°. 

Scantlings  for  the  roof  should  be  as  nearly 
proportioned  as  possible  to  the  weight  of  the 
material  used  for  covering,  and  where  the  roof 
has  the  elements  of  the  double  span,  whether 
the  pitch  be  high  or  low,  these  may  be  accu- 
rately approximated  by  the  rules  in  Sec.  4 of 
“Tredgold’s  Principles  of  Carpentry.” 

The  following  is  a tabular  exhibit  of  the 
comparative  weight  of  various  coverings  to  the 
square,  according  to  the  degrees  of  inclination 
to  the  horizon : 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


89 


Materials. 

Inclination. 

Weight. 

Galvanized  Iron,  wire  gauge, 

No.  23, 

4 degs. . 

125  Hbs. 

Tin,  Leaded,  IC, 

4 “ . 

56  “ 

Tin,  Leaded,  IK, 

4 “ . 

70  “ 

Slates,  ordinary,  thick  American,  26 

to 

30  “ . 

.300  to  500  “ 

Slates,  American  Stone, 

...26 

to 

30  “ . 

2380  “ 

Slates,  large  Welsh, . , 

...26 

to 

30  “ . 

1120  “ 

Shingles,.  , 

...26 

to 

30  “ . 

60  “ 

Gravel  Hoofing, , . 

...  4 

to 

8 “ . 

600  “ 

Corrugated  Iron, 

...  4 

to 

22  h “ . 

600  “ 

For  low  pitched  roofs  and  flats,  gravel  is 
sometimes  used  with  the  tared  paper  and 
melted  pitch,  the  application  of  which  need  not 
he  described  as  it  is  so  well  known. 

Tin  is  a reliable  and  standard  covering,  and 
better  than  any  other  material  for  a low  pitch, 
except  corrugated  iron.  For  roofing  purposes, 
lead  plates,  the  brand  I C or  I K,  should  be 
always  used.  The  latter  is  better,  because 
heavier.  Tin  is  often  laid  upon  rough  hemlock 
or  wide  mill-worked  boards,  but  a better  roof 
is  made  by  having  the  tin  underlaid  with  nar- 
row mill-worked  boards.  Roof  gutters,  valleys 
and  flashings  should  be  laid  of  the  same  quali- 
ty of  lead  plate,  and  painted  on  the  under 


90 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


sides  before  being  laid  down.  All  tin  work 
should  be  painted  on  the  outside  two  or  three 
good  coats  with  french  ochre  and  linseed  oil,  gray 
or  slate  color,  or  to  harmonize  with  the  general 
tint  of  the  building.  For  leaders,  the  brands 
DC,  to  DXXXX,  and  brands  CIIW, 
to  XI I W,  are  bast.  For  slates,  the  roof 
may  be  “covered  in”  with  rough  boards  laid 
edge  to  edge,  but  should  invariably  be  cov- 
ered under  the  slates  with  a double  thickness 
of  tared  paper,  or  felt  well  lapped,  to  prevent 
drift  from  sifting  into  the  attic,  or  a driving 
storm  from  wetting  the  ceiling.  A lap  of  3 
inches  should  be  given  to  all  slates,  and  if  va- 
ried from,  should  exceed  this  measure  at  the 
eaves,  and  diminish  toward  the  ridge.  The 
pitch  for  slates  should  never  be  less  than  one 
fourth  (I)  the  span  or  width  of  roof.  Valleys 
should  be  one  to  two-thirds  broader  for  slates 
than  for  other  ordinary  coverings.  Slates  are 
sometimes  laid  upon  laths  or  parallel  pieces 
11x3  inches;  this  method  will  do  very  well 
for  a steep  pitch  if  well  pointed  with  mortar 
back  of  each  course  on  the  inside  of  the  roof. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


91 


They  are  also  laid  upon  mill-worked  boards 
without  being  underlaid  with  any  material  to 
prevent  drift — a practice  not  safe,  or  advisable, 
with  ordinary  American  slates.  There  are 
twenty  one  sizes  of  slates,  from  14x7  to 
24x16  inches;  averaging  from  3-16  to  5-16 
of  an  inch  in  thickness.  Of  foreign,  or  Welsh 
slates,  there  are  thirteen  sizes,  from  13x6 
to  36x24  inches.  For  beauty  and  cleanliness, 
slates  are  unsurpassed  as  a roof  covering ; they 
give  a dwelling  character  and  dignity,  especi- 
ally if  it  be  wood,  and  the  roof  a certain  im- 
perishable look,  which  is  here  desirable  over 
all  other  parts  of  the  building.  They  require, 
however,  to  be  laid  with  the  greatest  care  to 
insure  a weather-tight  roof. 

Shingles  of  pine,  cedar,  or  cypress  are  much 
used ; some  oak  and  butternut  shingles  are 
used  where  these  woods  are  more  plentiful 
and  easier  obtained  than  pine.  Shingles  are 
laid  much  as  slates  are,  and  upon  rough  roof 
boards  or  shingle  laths.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
lay  them  upon  mill-worked  boards,  or  to  un- 
derlay them  with  tared  paper,  or  any  other 


92 


CO  TJNTR  Y HO  USES. 


material,  to  obtain  a weather- tight  roof.  Shin- 
gles are  sawed,  cut,  and  shaved ; the  sawed 
and  cut  will  lay,  and  form  a tighter  roof  than 
i the  shaved,  while  the  latter  will  probably  en- 
dure the  longest,  because  the  surfaces,  although 
uneven,  are  smooth,  and  the  grain  in  a parallel 
direction.  Shingles  are  usually  cut  in  lengths 
of  15  and  18  inches,  and  in  widths  of  from  2 
to  10  inches.  The  former  length  requires  a 
lap  of  4 inches,  or  should  lay  inches  to  the 
weather.  The  latter  should  lap  5 inches,  and 
lay  62  inches  to  the  weather,  and  in  all  cases 
the  joints  should  not  be  “broken”  at  a less  dis- 
tance apart  than  1 inch.  They  should  not  be 
employed  upon  any  pitch  designed  for  dwell- 
ings under  20°,  but  should  exceed  it  if  pos- 
sible. 

TIMBER ITS  PROPERTIES  AND  PRESERVATION. 

I 

To  employ  timber  advantageously,  requires 
an  intellegent  understanding  of  its  nature  and 
properties,  and,  therefore,  for  economical  uses, 
we  should  know  how  trees  are  affected  by 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


93 


their  geographical  situation,  by  soil,  growth, 
change  of  organs,  and  disease. 

Trees,  termed  by  botanists  dicotyledonous 
plants,  with  respect  to  their  wood,  may  be  di- 
vided into  three  classes — the  hard,  soft,  and 
the  resinous  woods.  In  the  first,  we  have  the 
Oak,  Beech,  Apple,  Chestnut,  Ash,  Elm,  Maho- 
gany, and  Black- Walnut.  The  second  com- 

prises the  Willow,  White  Wood,  American 
White  or  Northern  Pine,  and  Cedar.  And 
the  third,  White  and  Yellow  Fir,  Larch,  Amer- 
ican Yellow,  or  Southern  Pine. 

In  the  germination  and  growth  of  the  Dico- 
tyledonous, or  woody  plants,  the  vascular  sys- 
tem begins  to  organize  around  the  pith  and  to 
form  medullary  rays,  whose  extremities  exhibit 
cellular  texture,  which  is  soon  formed  into  li- 
bers. The  libers  expand,  then  harden,  and  are 
in  a short  time  converted  into  a layer  of  al- 
burnum. The  alburnum  gradually  acquires 
tenacity  and  hardness,  until  perfect  wood  is 
the  result.  Meanwhile  the  cambium,  or  sap, 
(which  is  a cellular  mass  flowing  between  the 
bark  and  the  wood,)  hardens  into  a new  layer 


94 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


of  liber,  which  again  merging  into  alburnum, 
and  then  perfect  wood ; other  layers  succeed 
until  the  growth  is  stopped. 

Each  layer  is  the  product  of  one  year’s 
growth,  so  that  if  a tree  should  be  cut  trans- 
versely at  the  base,  or  near  the  ground,  its 
age  could  generally  be  determined  by  the  an- 
nual rings.  While  the  circumference  of  the 
tree  is  being  yearly  expanded,  it  also  grows 
higher  each  year  in  exact  ratio : the  rings 
gradually  disappearing  at  the  top  of  the  tree, 
until  the  extremities  of  the  branches  contain 
the  continuation  of  but  one  annual  layer.  Bo- 
tanical science  informs  us  how  the  height  of  a 
tree  is  produced.  At  the  germination  of  the 
seed,  the  plume  rises,  and  the  liber  is  devel- 
oped by  the  vegetative  power  and  made  to 
grow  upward,  developing  gradually,  and  ex- 
tending less,  until  it  is  converted  into  wood, 

’ when  it  teases  growing.  This  new  layer  of 
wood  resembles  an  elongated  cone,  upon  which 
a bud  is  formed  and  from  which  a new  shoot 
starts.  A new  liber  is  here  formed,  which  in 
’ turn  becomes  woody  fiber,  increasing  the  di- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


95 


ameter  and  height  of  a tree  each  successive 
year.  If  we  were  to  cut  a transverse  section  of 
oak,  chestnut,  ash,  or  elm,  the  annual  growth 
could  be  distinctly  traced  with  the  grains  part- 
ly compact  and  partly  porous,  while  beech,  ma- 
hogany, and  black-walnut  would  present  near- 
ly a uniform  texture,  with  indistinct  markings 
of  their  annual  growth.  The  soft  and  resinous 
woods  would  also  be,  more  or  less,  distinctly 
marked  by  annual  rings  of  variegated  color,  a 
part  hard,  and  a part  soft.  The  resinous 
would  be  particularly  distinguished  by  the 
pores  of  the  wood  filled  with  pitch.  A clayey 
or  calcarous  soil  produces  most  of  our  hard 
woods,  and  a quartzose  soil,  the  resinous  and 
soft  woods,  with  some  two  or  three  species  of 
the  hard,  as  red  and  white  oak  black- walnut, 
and  chestnut. 

The  Oak — ( Quercus ),  is  regarded  as  the  most 
durable,  the  strongest,  and  toughest  of  all 
woods.  In  a dry  state,  and  where  the  grain 
is  compact  and  close,  it  has  been  known  to  last 
for  more  than  a thousand  years.  Buried  in 
the  earth,  it  will  last,  relatively  speaking,  for- 


96 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


ever,  and  in  water  will  resist  disease  and  decay 
for  an  extremely  long  period.  The  American 
species  are  the  red,  white,  iron,  and  chestnut- 
leaved  ; of  these,  the  white  and  iron  oaks  are 
the  most  durable.  They  are  all  slightly  astrin- 
gent to  the  taste  and  contain  gallic  acid,  and 
in  seasoning  warp  and  twist.  When  thorough- 
ly seasoned,  they  diminish  about  one  to  three 
per  cent  in  bulk. 

The  Beech — (Fagus),  has  a close  and  solid 
grain,  but  is  not  durable  in  either  damp  or  dry 
situations,  and  unless  used  where  it  can  lay 
immersed  in  water,  or  quite  excluded  from 
the  air,  as  for  mud-sills  or  piles,  should  not  be 
employed  generally  for  building  purposes.  To 
protect  it  from  the  incursions  of  worms,  it 
should  be  cut  in  midsummer  and  laid  a few 
days  in  water.  This  wood  will  also  warp  con- 
siderably, but  after  seasoning,  will  not  shrink 
much. 

The  Chestnut — ( Castanea  vesca),  is  a coarse 
grained,  dark,  sienna  colored  wood,  resem- 
bling oak,  and  useful  for  the  same  purposes, 
but  at  maturity  not  as  tough  or  stiff.  It  at- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


97 


tains  to  considerable  size  in  a quartzose  soil, 
and  in  a mean  annual  temperature  of  about 
50°. 

For  posts  to  place  in  the  ground,  or  timbers 
to  sustain  weight,  vertically  or  horizontally, 
select  young  timber,  which  is  tough  and  flexi- 
ble. Old  chestnut  is  brittle  and  not  to  be  de- 
pended upon  for  such  a purpose.  It  may  be 
used  for  interior  finishings  for  dwellings, 
either  with  or  without  other  woods,  and  will 
not  shrink  and  swell  as  much  as  oak. 

The  Ash — (Fraxinus),  is  quite  tough  and 
elastic  when  not  very  old.  Our  common  Amer- 
ican species  are  the  (acuminate)  white  and  black 
ash.  The  former  is  valuable  for  many  pur- 
poses, and  used  by  builders  for  floors  and  in- 
terior finishings,  and  by  wheel  and  mill- wrights. 
The  latter  species  is  not  considered  valuable, 
and  is  seldom  employed.  Exposed  alternate- 
ly to  a wet  and  dry  atmosphere,  they  decay 
rapidly.  White  ash  does  not  warp  as  much  as 
oak ; texture  is  compact  and  porus  alternately 
— a rapid  grower. 

The  Elm — (Ulmus  Americana),  or  white 
5 


98 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


elm,  is  a tough,  cross  and  coarse  grained 
wood,  used  very  little  for  building,  excellent 
and  very  durable  for  pile  timbers,  docking, 
&c.  Heart- wood,  dark ; sap-wood,  whitish 

brown ; warps  badly,  and  shrinks  end  and 
width-wise.  The  branches  of  the  tree  are 
smooth,  leaves  oblique  at  the  base,  having  acu- 
minate serratures. 

Ulmus  Pendula , is  a weeping  tree  with  hang- 
ing branches  and  smooth  leaves,  and  propaga- 
ted by  nurserymen,  as  an  ornamental  deciduous 
tree. 

Ulmus  Fulva , Slippery  Elm,  is  a species 
commonly  found  in  a calcerous  soil.  The 
branches  are  scabrous  and  white,  leaves  ovate, 
oblong,  very  acuminate.  The  inner  bark,  or 
cortex,  furnishes  a mucilage  that  is  medicinal. 

Mahogany — (Swietenia  Mahogani.)  This 
tree  is  a native  of  the  Torrid  Zone,  and  import- 
ed in  large  quanties,  in  the  log,  from  the  West 
Indies  and  Bay  of  Honduras.  The  former  is 
commonly  known  as  Spanish,  or  Saint  Domin- 
go mahogany.  The  grain  is  close  and  hard, 
and  color,  dark  red  brown.  The  latter, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


99 


known  as  the  “Bay  Wood7’  mahogany,  is 
coarse  grained,  of  larger  growth,  beautifully 
veined,  and  sometimes  mottled.  Leaves  of 
the  tree  are  lanceolate-ovate,  acuminate  ; 
racems  axillary,  downy.  Mahogany  is  exten- 
sively used  for  the  interior  finish  of  buildings, 
panels,  stair  rails  and  balusters,  doors,  wain- 
scot, and  architraves,  and  for  cabinet  ware, 
furniture,  &c. 

Walnut — ( Juglans  Alba.)  White  walnut, 
or  hickory  tree,  is  tough  and  flexible,  quite 
durable,  if  kept  dry.  In  large  trees  the  sap- 
wood  is  white  and  hard,  the  heart-wood,  light 
red,  or  brown.  Employed  hut  little  for  build- 
ing purposes,  hut  used  by  wheel- wrights,  and 
cut  into  cord  wood  for  winter  fuel.  Saplings 
are  used,  on  account  of  their  toughness,  for 
splint-brooms,  ax-helves,  hand-spikes,  &c. 

Juglans  Nigra,  or  Black  Walnut,  is  a large 
tree,  the  wood  dark,  or  umber  colored,  close 
grained,  tough  in  young  trees,  brittle  in  old 
ones.  Sometimes  beautifully  mottled  ; em- 
ployed for  the  same  purposes  as  mahogany 
and  quite  as  durable,  and  unlike  the  white 


100 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


walnut,  not  affected  by  worms.  This  species 
is  found  in  the  north,  the  western,  and  south- 
ern states  in  abundance,  and  is  one  of  our  most 
valuable  woods  for  economical  uses  and  for  the 
interior  finish  of  buildings.  Large  quantities 
are  annually  used  in  the  manufacture  of  every 
style  of  furniture,  plain  and  antique. 

White  Pine,  or  Weymouth  North  American 
pine — (Pinus  Strobus ),  is  a wood  more  exten- 
sively used  for  the  frame  work  and  finish  of 
dwellings  than  any  other.  This  wood  is  light 
and  soft,  and  its  specific  gravity  about  4*60 ; 
the  color,  after  exposure,  becomes  dark  yellow; 
when  first  worked  it  is  a light  buff  or  straw 
color.  The  texture  is  uniform,  and  the  annual 
rings  indistinct.  Is  much  used  for  doors,  sashes, 
blinds,  and  shutters;  interior  finish  of  all  kinds; 
masts  and  cabins  of  vessels,  floors,  timbers, 
and  moulds ; not  so  durable  as  yellow  pine 
when  exposed  to  the  weather  unpainted,  or 
unprotected  by  a chemical  solution. 

Finns  Resinosa , or  yellow  pine,  is  grown, 
and  most  abundant,  in  southern  latitudes,  and 
hence  called  southern  pine  and  sometimes 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


101 


Georgia  pine,  from  the  large  quantities 
brought  from  the  State  of  Georgia  northward  ; 
the  color  is  brownish  yellow,  distinctly  veined, 
texture  hard,  and  pores  filled  with  an  oily 
resin ; very  durable. 

The  leaves  and  sheaths  of  the  tree  are  elon- 
gated, strobiles  ovate-conic,  rounded  at  the 
base,  scales  dilated  in  the  middle.  Grows  tall 
and  straight,  with  redish  bark ; smoother  than 
the  white  pine. 

The  other  American  species,  are  the 

Firms  Figida,  or  Pitch  Pine,  common  in 
barren  and  sandy  soils. 

Firms  Fanadensis , or  Hemlock  tree. 

Firms  Balsamea , or  American  silver,  and 
balsam  fir. 

Firms  Pendula,  or  Blk  Larch,  and  Tamar- 
ack, whose  leaves  are  deciduous. 

SELECTION  OF  TREES  FOR  TIMBER,  ETC. 

The  best  season  for  selecting  trees  to  cut  for 
timber  is  midsummer,  at  which  time  the  foli- 
age in  healthy  trees  is  full  and  dark  green ; 
while  trees  diseased  in  any  way,  have  a some- 


102 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


what  variegated  foliage,  with  the  trunks  often 
moss  and  ivy  grown. 

Trees  on  the  decline,  furnish  a brittle,  or 
brash  wood,  while  those  that  have  arrived  at 
maturity,  furnish  durable  and  tough  timber.' 
for  every  purpose.  Saplings,  or  young  trees, 
do  not  furnish  durable  and  stiff  timber,  and 
should  not  be  cut  for  this  purpose. 

To  secure  the  trees  selected,  they  may  be 
marked  by  girdling,  and  so  hasten  the  season- 
ing of  the  timber,  as  this  process  severs  the 
outer  bark  and  liber,  and  prevents  the  flow  of 
the  cambium,  or  sap  ; but  trees  in  this  condi- 
tion should  not  be  left  standing  too  long,  lest, 
after  the  decline  of  the  tree  in  this  way,  it 
should  become  affected  with  dry  rot,  or 
worms. 

SEASONING  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  TIMBER. 

Freshly  cut  timber  contains  from  40  to  50 
per  cent  of  vegetable  juices,  or  sap,  which  be- 
comes solidified  when  completely  dry;  and 
when  only  partially  seasoned,  as  by  the  ordi- 
nary method  of  piling  in  tiers,  it  retains  about 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


103 


20  per  cent  of  juices,  or  moisture ; and  when 
thoroughly  seasoned,  about  10  per  cent  of 
moisture  is  said  yet  to  remain.  Two  to  six 
years  are  required  to  perfectly  season  timber. 

Timber  seasoned  by  a slow  and  gradual  pro- 
cess in  the  atmosphere,  is  most  durable  ; and 
that  which  is  charred  or  painted,  in  a green 
state,  is  quickly  destroyed  by  fermentation 
and  decay. 

Dry  rot  is  infused  into  timber  by  exposure 
to  wet  and  dry  alternately ; hence  the  timbers 
of  frames  should  be  “covered  in,”  or  protected 
from  the  weather. 

Timber  may  be  very  much  improved,  its 
texture  hardened,  and  its  durability  increased, 
by  boiling  or  steaming  it.  It  may  be  perma- 
nently protected  from  wet  or  dry  rot,  the  ad- 
herence of  animal  or  vegetable  parasites,  or 
attacks  of  insects,  by  being  impregnated  with 
either  a solution  of  corrosive  sublimate , chloride 
of  zinc,  or  sulphate  of  copper . The  use  of 
chloride  of  zinc,  in  the  process  patented  by  Sir 
William  Burnett,  is  probably  the  most  safe  and 
economical,  and  is  called  “Burnettizing,”  and 


104 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


consists  of  a solution  of  lib  of  chloride  to  10 
gallons  of  water,  submitted  to  the  wood  or 
timber  end- wise,  under  a pressure  of  130  to 
150  lbs  to  the  square  inch.  By  this  process 
wood  may  he  rendered  uninflammable  ; and  as 
the  solution  enters  into  perfect  chemical  com- 
bination with  the  ligneous  fiber,  efflorescence 
does  not  take  place,  and  continued  bleaching 
and  boiling  will  not  remove  the  solution,  or 
impair  its  virtue  in  the  least. 

Below  we  give  a tabular  view  of  the  com- 
parative weight,  stiffness,  strength,  and  tough- 
ness of  the  preceding  species. 

Weight  of 


Kind  of  Wood.  cub.  ft.  Stiffness.  Strength.  Toughness. 

Oak,  W.  A., 56  ....  114  ....  86  . . . . 64 

Beech, 53  . . . . 77  ....  100  ....  130 

Chestnut, 43  . . . . 67  . . . . 89  ....  118 

Ash, 52  ....  89  ....  119  ....  160 

Elm, 78  ....  82  ....  86 

Mahagony,  Hond., 93  96  99 

Black  Walnut, 50  78  100 

White,  Pine, 28  ... . 95  ... . 99  ....  103 

Yellow,  “ Va., 34,2  ..  100  ....  105  ... . 95 

Pitch,  “ 41  ....  73  ....  82  ....  92 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


105 


PAINTING. 

Painting,  employed  as  a vehicle  of  use  and 
ornament  about  our  dwellings,  deserves  great- 
er consideration  than  is  usually  given  to  it. 
Excessive  haste  is  too  often  manifested  in  the 
selection  and  use  of  colors,  at  the  sacrifice  of 
durability  and  proper  effect ; whereas  a little 
thoughtfulness,  and  a few  well-directed  inqui- 
ries would  have  spared  many  a one  the  humili- 
ating sense  of  incompleteness  in  their  own 
efforts  and  works.  Accepting  this  as  a fact,  I 
have  believed,  and  do  still,  that  it  is  not  a 
knowledge  of  what  ought  to  be  done  we  want 
so  much  as  a frequent  reminding  of  our  duty 
toward  impressions  and  materials. 

I am  sometimes  asked,  “How  would  you 
perform  this  or  that  piece  of  house  painting, 
so  as  to  insure  reasonable  durability  with 
proper  tones  of  color  V1  and  have  answered 
in  general  terms,  that  it  is  only  required,  as-  a 
first  rule,  to  observe  what  are  good  materials ; 
and  secondly,  how  they  should  be  applied. 

When  any  are  sought,  it  should  be  deter- 
5* 


106 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


mined  first  what  are  best,  since  the  best  are 
cheapest,  though  double  or  treble  the  cost  of 
inferior  ones  at  the  outset,  because  of  greater 
facility  in  working  them,  their  excellence  of 
finish,  and  lasting  qualities. 

White  lead  is  used  as  a base  for  nearly  all 
the  positive  and  semi-tones  in  house  painting, 
and  is  best  when  old,  because  it  is  thus  ren- 
dered softer  and  finer,  and  works  smoothly 
under  the  brush.  The  unadulterated  keg-lead 
should  be  used  for  good  work.  Its  preparation 
in  detail  I will  not  attempt ; but  may  remark, 
that  it  is  sometimes  prepared  by  exposing 
sheet-lead  to  the  fumes  of  vinegar,  by  which 
it  is  corroded,  and  its  surface  covered  with  an 
incrustation,  which  being  scraped  off  and  lev- 
igated, becomes  white  lead.  It  is  again  made 
by  precipitating  a solution  of  acetate  of  lead 
by  carbonate  of  soda,  consisting  of  about  112 
oxide  of  lead,  and  22  carbonic  acid,  etc.  Semi- 
tones are  compounded  from  white  as  a base, 
and  some  of  the  varieties  of  the  other  primitive 
colors,  black,  red,  yellow,  blue,  green,  and 
brown.  Of  the  four  or  more  varieties  of  black, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


107 


lampblack  calcined  and  ground  in  boiled  lin- 
seed oil  is  probably  the  best  for  general  pur- 
poses. 

Of  thirteen  varieties  of  red,  Carmine  and 
Indian,  Chinese  and  English  pale  vermillions, 
Orange  Mineral  and  Prussian  Bed  are  most 
reliable  for  wood- work,  though  nearly  all  the 
kinds  are  in  use  constantly. 

Of  the  several  varieties  of  yellow,  Chinese 
and  French  Ochre  are  the  best ; the  former 
clear,  enduring,  and  of  great  strength ; the  lat- 
ter takes  but  little  oil,  and  preserves  its  color 
well. 

Of  the  blues,  Ultramarine,  Chinese,  Prus- 
sian, and  Antwerp  are  the  best,  being  of  great 
strength,  and  easily  ground  in  oil. 

Out  of  the  greens,  I select  Chrome  and 
Paris  greens.  Both  should  be  ground  fine  in 
boiled  linseed  oil,  and  used  on  carefully  pre- 
pared priming. 

All  the  varieties  of  brown  are  quite  good, 
and  freely  used  in  the  various  branches  of 
house  painting  and  decorating,  but  chiefly  to 


108 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


prepare  drabs,  and  for  veining  imitations  of 
wood. 

In  the  application  of  the  materials  for  paint- 
ing, a hint  or  two,  enjoining  the  workman  to 
pay  due  regard  to  the  small  things  of  his  craft, 
will  not  be  out  of  place  ; and  the  practical  ex- 
perience of  a most  excellent  master  painter, 
teaches  that  this  is  positively  necessary  to  give 
any  thing  like  a satisfactory  result.  Brushes 
and  vessels  must  be  kept  clean ; and  no  good 
workman  will  be  without  a proper  number 
of  these.  Pots  for  colors,  cans  for  oils  and 
turpentines,  and  tin  paint-pots,  from  which  the 
colors  are  used  with  the  brush.  Marble  slab 
and  muller  for  grinding  colors,  or  pigments. 
Large  ground  brush,  pound  brush,  half  size. 
Duster,  pallet,  and  putty-knife,  sash-tools,  lad- 
ders and  window-jack.  Strong  tin  cans  for 
using  the  paint  from  is  better  than  wooden 
,ones,  because  easily  kept  clean  and  brushed 
down ; paint  can  not  adhere  to  these  so  well, 
and  hence  less  is  wasted.  Prepare  the  wood 
work  for  painting  by  first  examining  to  see  if 
any  roughness  of  surface  is  apparent,  caused 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


109 


by  working  against  the  grain  of  the  wood,  or 
from  any  other  cause  ; if  so,  destroy  the  rough- 
ness, and  level  the  irregularities  by  a liberal 
use  of  sand-paper,  assorted,  and  pumice.  This 
should  be  done  before  the  priming  coat  of 
paint  is  spread,  or  put  on,  and  not  afterward, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case,  since  the  priming 
aids  in  forming  the  body,  and  is  nearly  all 
taken  up  by  the  pores  of  the  wood,  and  conse- 
quently would  be  nearly  all  removed  from  the 
surface  in  preparing  for  the  after  coats  of 
painting. 

All  wood  work,  whether  out  or  indoor,  (ex- 
cepting it  be  well  worked  hard  wood,)  comes 
to  the  painter  in  a comparatively  rough  state  ; 
the  finished  surface  is  either  glassy  or  wooley, 
mottled  or  ridgy,  according  to  the  direction  of 
the  grain,  the  quality  of  the  wood  used,  and 
the  manner,  or  way,  in  which  the  several1 
pieces  forming  the  finish  were  treated  by  the 
workman. 

Puttying  may  always  be  done  after  the 
priming  has  set  or  dried,  but  knotting  and 
shellacing  should  be  thoroughly  done  before 


110 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


priming.  All  spots  of  sap-wood,  and  those 
impregnated  with  pitch,  should  receive  two 
coats  of  size  to  prevent  their  defects  being 
seen  through  the  finishing  coats. 

In  white  painting  this  precaution  is  not  to 
be  omitted,  if  we  would  have  a pure  white 
instead  of  a dirty  yellow.  The  discoloration 
of  white  paint,  so  frequently  seen,  is,  however, 
not  always  due  to  the  imperfect  preparation 
of  the  wood,  but  sometimes  white  painting  is 
caused  to  assume  a yellow  tinge  by  the  with- 
drawal of  light  from  apartments. 

Where  fast  knots  appear  they  should  be 
covered  with  two  coats  of  size ; if  loose  or 
black,  should  be  bored  out  and  plugged.  All 
knots,  however,  should  be  avoided  on  the  in- 
terior finish  of  first  class  buildings,  on  account 
of  the  difficulty  of  completely  covering  them, 
with  even  the  best  care. 

There  seems  a difference  of  opinion  as  to  the 
number  of  coats  required  for  plain  work  in  the 
first  painting ; but  when  it  is  remembered  that 
the  priming  coat  is  nearly  all  taken  in  by  ab- 
sorption, it  will  be  seen  that  not  less  than 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


Ill 


three  coats  will  suffice  for  white,  and  two  coats 
for  neutral  tints.  For  new  outside  work,  this 
will  be  found  sufficient  for  about  the  first  three 
years ; after  which  there  will  need  to  be  a re- 
newal, since  its  vitality  and  power  to  resist  the 
wear  of  weather  becomes  partially  destroyed. 

Inside  painting  being  employed  as  a vehicle 
of  ornament  as  much  as  for  the  preservation 
of  wood  work,  its  restoration,  or  renewal,  is 
more  subject  to  the  rules  of  taste  than  any  ab- 
solute requirement  of  utility,  though,  if  well 
done,  it  would  serve  all  purposes  by  being  re- 
newed, or  restored,  every  three  or  five  years. 

In  performing  the  necessary  manipulations 
for  house  painting,  the  priming  coats  for  ex- 
terior work  should  be  mixed  with  clear  old 
white  lead  and  pure  linseed  oil,  in  about  the 
proportion  of  ten  pounds  of  white  lead  for 
every  two  quarts  of  oil.  For  interior  painting, 
it  is  best  to  use  with  the  lead  boiled  linseed 
oil  exclusively,  instead  of  raw,  or  a proportion 
of  boiled  and  raw,  as  is  sometimes  done,  with 
a small  quantity  of  patent  dryer,  ground  in 
turpentine,  which  will  cause  the  priming  to  set 


112 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


quick  and  form  a body  without  dripping.  For 
exterior  second  coat  work,  use  the  priming 
process,  and  add  thereto  sufficient  white  lead 
to  make  the  paint  quite  stiff.  If  neutral  tints 
are  used,  then  estimate  about  two-thirds  of  the 
above  proportion  of  lead  to  be  added  to  one- 
half  its  bulk  of  color,  and  all  the  oil  they  will 
take.  This,  as  a general  rule,  and  for  common 
use,  is  sufficient.  But  as  there  are  several  de- 
grees of  strength,  of  fineness,  and  of  quality  in 
colors,  so  there  must  be  many  rules,  or  rather 
no  definite  rules  at  all ; only,  artist-like,  a con- 
ception of  what  is  demanded,  and  a constant 
working  with  muller,  paint,  and  brush,  until  it 
is  answered  in  the  very  tone  and  impression 
sought.  For  second  coating  interior  work, 
grind  the  white  lead  in  raw  linseed  oil  to  the 
consistency  of  thick  paste  ; then  reduce  it  with 
turpentine  until  in  a proper  condition  to  spread 
with  the  brush,  using,  as  a general  rule,  an 
equal  quantity  of  oil  and  turpentine,  to  com- 
plete the  mixing  process.  The  second  may 
sometimes  be  made  a finishing  coat  by  the 
addition  of  a larger  proportion  of  turpentine, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


113 


and  by  straining  the  color  carefully,  and  add- 
ing a portion  of  the  finest  French  zinc,  equal 
in  proportion  to  half  the  quantity  of  lead  used, 
supposing  the  finish  to  be  a clear  dead  white. 

For  neutral  tints,  the  addition  of  the  required 
color  in  the  proper  proportions  to  the  white, 
mixed  as  above,  for  a base,  is  sufficient.  I 
would  not,  unless  in  some  exceptional  cases, 
advise  the  use  of  two  coat  work  for  completely 
finishing  the  wood  work,  but  wish  to  be  under- 
stood as  urging  the  necessity  of  not  stopping 
short  of  good  three  coat  work,  and  in  some 
cases  four  and  five  coat  work. 

In  preparing  the  third  coat,  if  designed  for 
a dead  white,  the  ingredients  should  be,  first, 
equal  parts  of  the  best  old  American  white 
lead,  and  the  best  quality  of  French  zinc, 
ground  in  equal  parts  of  raw  linseed  oil  and 
turpentine,  as  stiff  as  possible,  and  afterwards 
reduced  with  all  turpentine  to  the  proper  con- 
sistency for  use. 

If  it  should  be  required  to  finish  with  a su- 
perior gloss,  (technically  termed  China  gloss,) 
then  the  work  must  receive  a coat  of  white 


114 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


shellac  upon  the  priming,  and  the  last  or  third 
coat  should  he  composed  of  three  parts  zinc  to 
one  of  lead,  ground  in  oil  and  turpentine,  and 
reduced  with  the  latter,  and  after  becoming 
dry  should  have,  in  addition,  one  coat  of  the 
best  white  varnish,  and  to  perfect  the  gloss, 
add  still  another  coat. 

An  exceedingly  beautiful  white  paint  for 
interior  wood  work  may  be  obtained  by  the 
following  process : To  one  half  gallon  of  tur- 
pentine add  twenty  ounces  of  frankincense ; 
place  it  over  a fire  to  dissolve,  after  which 
strain  and  put  in  cans  for  use.  To  one  quart 
of  this  mixture  add  three  quarts  of  bleached 
linseed  oil.  To  these  two  mixtures  combined, 
add  equal  parts  of  clear  old  white  lead  and  the 
best  French  zinc,  ground  in  turpentine.  Strain 
them ; and  if  too  stiff,  reduce  with  turpentine, 
as  for  other  interior  work.  Paint  prepared  in 
this  manner  gives  out  scarcely  any  odor,  and 
if  well  done,  will  preserve  its  fine  finish  many 
years ; but  its  great  cost,  compared  with  the 
commoner  kinds  of  white  paint,  prevents  it 
coming  into  general  use. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


115 


Graining. — If  we  were  disposed,  and  could 
always  accept  the  conditions  of  procuring  and 
preparing  the  better  class  of  woods  for  house 
finishing,  it  would  he  better  to  do  so,  on  ac- 
count of  their  real  and  undisguised  worth,  and 
the  consideration  in  which  they  are  held  in  all 
true  architecture  ; but  in  the  absence  of  an 
abundance  of  the  rarer  and  finer  woods,  as 
walnut,  oak,  cherry,  rosewood,  maple,  and 
mahogany,  graining  in  imitation  of  these  has 
seemed  to  become,  in  these  days  of  rapid 
building,  highly  proper,  and  an  almost  uni- 
versal vehicle  of  covering  for  soft  wood  finish, 
and  for  ornament ; and  since  it  is  thus  thought 
to  be  rarely  possible,  and  seldom  expedient,  to 
employ  woods  richly  veined,  and  susceptible 
of  oil  and  polish,  there  exist  suitable  reasons 
for  grained  imitations,  when  we  know  and  ac- 
cept them  as  such  ; the  same  as  we  would  use 
gilding  in  the  absence  or  scarcity  of  gold,  or 
stucco  ornaments  instead  of,  and  to  represent, 
carvings  in  marble. 

Graining  may  be  properly  employed  in 
nearly  all  branches  of  domestic  architecture, 


116 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


but  should  never  intrude  in  the  higher  fields 
of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  architecture. 

It  may  be  employed  upon  the  wood  work 
of  dining-rooms  of  a cheerful  oak  imitation,  on 
walls,  saloons,  and  lobbies,  either  in  oak  or 
walnut.  In  libraries,  in  imitation  of  English 
walnut,  rosewood,  or  old  oak.  Bed-chambers 
and  closets  should  never  be  painted  white,  but 
be  grained  in  imitation  of  chestnut  or  pollard 
oak,  whose  tones  are  quiet  and  subdued,  with- 
out glare  or  reflected  lights.  Kitchens  and 
kitchen  offices  may  be  grained  in  imitation  of 
either  oak,  maple,  or  chestnut,  provided  it  be 
finished  in  oil,  and  not  varnished  ; otherwise  a 
flatting  of  good  warm  drab  or  French  gray, 
on  two  coats  of  priming,  with  lead  and  oil, 
will  be  found  both  serviceable  and  easily  kept 
clean. 

A good  piece  of  grained  work,  like  any  oth- 
er work,  derives  its  chief  excellence  from  good 
and  proper  materials  and  skillful  handling  ; 
and  to  answer  fully  this  last  demand,  it  is  re- 
quired that  the  artist  or  grainer  study  closely 
the  character  and  grains  of  the  woods  to  be 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


117 


imitated,  and  also  enter  into  an  analysis  of 
them  all.  But  I desire  to  afford  the  reader 
facilities  for  judging  of,  and  selecting  good 
materials  for  graining,  (if  he  does  not  already 
know,)  and  hence  shall  repeat  the  process  as 
briefly  as  possible  for  some  of  the  best  grains 
in  modern  use. 

Oak. — To  prepare  a rich  ground  for  oak 
graining,  take  old  white  lead,  three  parts : 
burnt  terra  sienna,  three  parts ; stone  ochre, 
two  parts ; chrome  yellow,  one ; put  on  two 
coats,  and  when  dry  apply  the  graining  color, 
composed  of  raw  terra  sienna,  Y andyke  brown, 
and  whiting  in  about  equal  portions  ground  in 
oil  or  beer ; add  about  four  ounces  of  gum 
Arabic,  dissolved  in  a pint  of  hot  water.  Mix: 
it  well  with  the  other  ingredients,  and  when 
perfectly  dry,  varnish  with  two  coats  of  copal 
varnish. 

Old  Oak. — To  imitate  old  oak,  make  a 
ground  of  about  equal  parts  of  stone  ochre 
and  burnt  terra  sienna,  with  one  part  lead 
ground  in  oil.  Put  on  in  two  coats,  and  pre- 
pare the  graining  color  either  of  burnt  umber 


118 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


or  Yandyke  brown  mixed  in  oil.  Another 
method,  which  I think  superior  to  the  last  for 
old  oak  grain  color , is  to  grind  Y andyke  brown 
and  whiting  in  turpentine,  and  add  a small 
quantity  of  common  soap  to  make  it  stand  the 
comb. 

Pollard  Oak. — A species  of  graining  used 
considerably  in  England,  and  more  mottled 
than  common  oak,  may  be  imitated  by  pre- 
paring a ground  of  chrome  yellow  three  parts, 
Vermillion  one,  white  lead  three ; when  mixed 
the  result  will  be  a rich  buff.  The  graining 
colors  are  prepared  from  equal  parts  of  Tur- 
key umber,  raw  terra  sienna,  and  burnt  white 
vitriol,  ground  separately  in  oil  to  the  consist- 
ency of  paste,  and  reduced  with  turpentine, 
taking  care,  however,  to  keep  a sufficient 
quantity  of  oil  in  the  colors  to  bind  and  finish 
well. 

Mahogany  Grounds , may  be  prepared  in  the 
following  manner : To  twelve  or  fourteen 
ounces  of  English  Yenetian  red,  add  three 
ounces  of  chrome  yellow,  and  one  ounce  of 
vermilion,  ground  in  equal  portions  of  oil  and 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


119 


turpentine.  This  ground  must  be  applied  to 
the  wood  in  two  coats/ upon  a priming  of  lead 
and  oil,  quite  stiff,  stained  with  a little  red 
lead.  The  graining  color  may  be  prepared 
with  raw  and  burnt  terra  sienna,  in  equal 
parts,  ground  in  ale.  To  imitate  mahogany 
more  perfectly,  there  may  be  a top  grain  pre- 
pared of  burnt  sienna,  and  applied  after  the 
first  grain  color  has  been  worked  with  mottler 
and  softener,  and  become  perfectly  dry. 

Rosewood , may  be  imitated  by  preparing 
for  a ground  with  one  part  white  lead,  one 
part  crimson  lake,  and  two  parts  vermilion, 
ground  in  oil,  and  put  on  in  two  coats.  The 
graining  color  is  prepared  of  Yandyke  brown, 
ground  in  oil  quite  thin,  with  a darker  after- 
tint of  the  same  kind  of  color,  to  be  used  with 
the  graining  brush,  to  soften  and  draw  the 
more  delicate  veins  over  the  work.  When 
dry,  apply  two  coats  of  varnish,  reduced,  if 
need  be,  with  alcohol,  to  preserve  its  gloss. 

Neutral  Tints. — And  now  that  enough  has 
been  said  about  graining  to  enable  the  reader 
to  form  a pretty  correct  estimate  of  what 


120 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


materials  are  good,  and  what  should  be  used, 
I propose  to  give  some  directions  for  the  pre- 
paration of  neutral  tints , as  well  as  inquire  into 
some  of  the  leading  principles  that  ought  to 
govern  their  production,  principally  for  ex- 
terior house  painting. 

I presume  the  term  “neutral  tints ” is  well 
enough  understood  theoretically,  though  its 
practical  modern  signification  be  not  fully 
comprehended.  In  connection  with  house 
painting,  it  does  not  mean  any  one  of  the  pos- 
itive colors,  as  white,  black,  red,  blue,  etc., 
nor  a single  compound  of  some  particular  and 
specified  two  positives,  producing  a specified 
color ; hut  such  a use  and  combination  of  posi- 
tive colors  as  will  produce,  in  harmony  and 
variety,  any  and  all  the  intermediate  tones 
ftom  white  to  black.  Color  may  be  divided 
into  three  classes ; Primary,  consisting  of  red, 
blue,  or  yellow ; Secondary,  produced  by  mix- 
ing two  primaries ; Tertiary,  produced  by 
mixing  two  secondaries.  Harmony  of  color  is 
two-fold,  by  analogy,  and  by  contrast.  Those 
tones  are  most  perfectly  neutral,  or  harmoni- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


121 


ous,  that  are  made  to  possess  the  most  relative 
harmony  without  striking  contrast. 

When  two  or  more  tones  are  employed  on 
one  separate  subject,  as  in  the  case  of  parti- 
colored painting  for  trimmings  and  the  body 
of  the  building,  they  should  harmonize,  with 
only  perceptible  difference  enough  to  make 
them  distinguishable. 

The  harmony  of  colors  by  contrast  may  be 
stated,  as  a general  principle,  in  the  following 
manner : 

1.  Red  harmonizes  with  orange  or  yellow, 
though  positive  in  tone. 

2.  Orange  harmonizes  with  drab. 

3.  Yellow  harmonizes  with  white. 

4.  Green  harmonizes  with  yellow. 

5.  Blue  harmonizes  with  white  and  red. 

6.  Brown  harmonizes  with  green  and  black. 

But  in  the  production  of  neutral  tints  they 

may  be  better  exemplified  in  the  following 
practical  methods  : 

1st.  Cream  Color  is  produced  by  using  equal 
parts  of  white  and  red  lead,  English  Venetian 
red  one  part,  chrome  yellow  two  parts,  ground 


122 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


in  oil.  Free  Stone  color  harmonizes  with  this, 
and  is  produced  with  red  lead  as  a principal 
ingredient,  English  Venetian  red  one  part, 
lampblack  one  part,  and  French  yellow  two 
parts,  ground  in  oil  and  turpentine. 

2d.  Drab  is  produced  with  white  lead, 
French  yellow,  and  lampblack,  ground  in  three 
parts  oil  and  one  of  turpentine.  Orange  har- 
monizes with  drab,  and  may  be  produced  of 
a pleasing  tint  with  French  and  chrome  yel- 
low, equal  parts,  half  the  quantity  of  white 
and  red  lead,  ground  in  oil. 

3d.  Fawn  Color.  Reduce  raw  terra  sienna 
to  powder,  and  use  one  pound  to  fifty  pounds 
of  white  lead  ground  in  oil.  A beautiful  warm 
Drab  to  harmonize  with  this  may  be  prepared 
with  white  lead  two  and  a half  parts,  burnt 
umber  one  and  a half  parts,  raw  terra  sienna 
half  part,  and  enough  of  the  best  English  Ve- 
netian red  to  stain  the  colors  and  impart  a 
warm  hue. 

4th.  French  Gray , of  a superior  quality  and 
color,  may  be  produced  with  white  lead  three 
parts,  Prussian  blue  one  part,  vermilion  half 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


123 


part,  burnt  terra  sienna  quarter  part,  ground 
in  oil  and  a small  portion  of  turpentine.  Sub- 
stitute carmine  for  vermilion  in  the  last  coat. 
Straw  Color  harmonizes  with  the  above,  and 
may  be  produced  with  white  lead  three  parts, 
chrome  yellow  one  part,  ground  in  three  parts 
oil  and  one  part  turpentine.  Buff , also,  will 
harmonize  with  French  gray,  it  being  nearly 
the  same  as  straw  color,  and  is  prepared  with 
white  lead  four  parts,  French  and  chrome  yel- 
lows two  parts  each,  and  one  part  red  lead. 

5th.  Pearl  Cray , is  produced  with  white 
lead  and  equal  parts  of  Prussian  blue  and 
lampblack,  mixed  in  oil.  Free  Stone  harmon- 
izes with  this,  and  is  usually  produced  with 
red  lead  as  a principal  ingredient,  and  English 
Venetian  red  one  part,  lampblack  one  part, 
and  French  yellow  two  parts,  ground  in  oil 
and  turpentine.  To  lighten  the  tint,  a small 
quantity  of  white  lead  may  be  used. 

6th.  Another  good  Fawn  Color  may  be  pro- 
duced with  white  lead  as  a base,  and  equal 
parts  of  vermilion  or  carmine,  and  stone  ochre, 


124 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


ground  in  oil.  Pearl  Gray  does  well  with  this 
also,  prepared  as  specified  in  the  5th  section. 

7th.  To  prepare  a pleasing  Chestnut  Color , 
mix  stone  yellow,  vermilion,  and  black,  using 
white  lead  as  a base,  ground  in  oil.  Chocolate 
Color  harmonizes  with  this,  and  may  be  pro- 
duced with  white  lead  three  parts,  common 
Venetian  red  two  parts,  red  lead  one  part,  and 
black  one  part,  ground  in  boiled  linseed  oil, 
to  harden  the  color. 

8th.  A good  Stone  Color  may  be  produced 
with  white  lead  as  a base,  and  equal  parts  of 
burnt  umber  and  yellow  ochre.  Fawn  Color , 
as  specified  in  section  6th,  does  well  with  this. 

I have  now  extended  my  remarks  upon  the 
subject  of  house  painting  far  enough,  T trust, 
to  make  the  attentive  reader  quite  familiar 
with  some  of  its  best  materials,  and  the  best 
methods  for  employing  them  ; and  where  the 
proportions  have  been  given,  they  may  be 
taken  for  as  safe  and  proper  rules  as  can  pro- 
bably be  ever  attained  to  in  a branch  of  art 
whose  governing  law  is  taste  rather  than  rule. 


•I  •% 


PICTURESQUE  STONE  COTTAGE. 


JEAUTY  of  outline  and  proportion  is  as 
^ important  in  the  design  and  construc- 
tion of  a house,  as  the  interior  arrange- 

' c 

? ment  of  the  dwelling.  A ‘ ‘ square  box’ 
may  afford  all  necessary  facilities  to  the  fami- 
ly, but  if  it  does  not  please  the  eye  and  grati- 
fy the  esthetic  as  well  as  the  animal  wants,  it 
lacks  an  indispensable  part  of  what  a fine 
country  house  ought  to  be.  The  large  num- 
ber of  houses  which  have  been  put  up  during 
the  last  three  or  four  years  on  the  great  tho- 
roughfares of  travel  leading  out  of  New  York, 
have  afforded  a good  opportunity  for  the  exer- 
cise of  the  talents  of  our  Architects,  and  the 
12 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


127 


skill  of  our  suburban  Builders.  The  design 
we  give  (No.  1)  was  executed  of  stone,  at 
“ Highwood  Park/’  Tenafly  Station,  on  the  line 
of  the  Northern  New  Jersey  Bail  Bo  ad,  and 
situate  on  the  western  Palisade  slope. 


ARRANGEMENT. 


Fig.  1,  is  a perspective  view,  and  Figs.  2 
and  3 are  first  and  second  floor  plans.  The 
style  is  a modification  of  the  Gothic,  with 
“ bell-cast”  roof.  The  main  building  is  17x30 
feet,  and  the  extension  20x21  feet.  The  whole, 
two  stories  and  attic,  with  a cellar  and  a base- 
ment kitchen  below.  Exposure,  south-wester- 
ly. The  first  floor,  Fig.  2,  contains:  L,  lobby, 
5x8  feet;  P,  parlor,  13Jxl4  feet;  D,  dining- 


128 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


room,  14x17 i feet;  H,  open  hall  and  stair- 
case; K,  kitchen,  13x14  feet,  besides  sink- 
room,  pantry  and  china-closet.  Fig.  3,  is  the 
second  floor  plan,  containing  three  sleeping 
rooms,  13x14  feet;  a bath-room,  6x10  feet, 
with  a passage  for  communication  from  front 
to  rear  rooms,  and  wardrobe  at  the  side ; c,  c, 
are  closets.  The  attic  contains  space  for  four 
rooms,  about  8x10  and  12  feet.  The  parlor 
and  dining  room  are  separated  by  folding 
doors,  and  may  be  en  suite  when  required ; 
and  are  warmed,  with  the  chambers  above 
them,  by  the  furnace. 

Cost. — The  cost  of  the  house,  including  a 
well,  entrance  gates,  grading  and  walks,  will 
not  exceed  $6,000.  The  following  are  the 
principal  items  of  cost.  The  walls,  the  most 
costly  item,  were  laid  up  in  random  courses  of 
silicious,  or  sand  stone,  white  and  red,  and 
contain  about — 


5.000  cubic  feet  of  stone  work  at  30c., $1,500  00 

(This  includes  pointing  and  excavation  for  cellar. ) 

8.000  feet  timber  and  rough  lumber  at  24-00, 192  00 


Shingles,  lath,  flooring,  finishing  pine,  architraves 
and  moulds,  &c. , cartage  and  freight, 


850  00 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


129 


Sashes,  doors  and  blinds, 368  00 

Lathing  and  plastering,  cistern  and  chimneys,  ....  375  00 

Carpenter  work,  about  275  days,  at  $3, 825  00 

Painting, 250  00 

Plumbing,  (pump,  sink  and  piping), 80  00 

Furnace  and  setting,  250  00 

Hardware,  about, 200  00 

Lightning  conductors,  68  00 

Speaking  tubes, 15  00 

The  wells  walks,  grading  and  gates, 700  00 

[ See  Details .] 

6* 


130 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Stale  Details  foil  Design  ©no. 


Fig . 4. 

Pig.  4. — Section,  plan  and  elevation  of  oriel 
windows.  Scale,  s of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


1 

T=\ 

( 

l 

i ^ 

Fig.  5. 

Fig.  5. — Sill  section  of  lobby  entrance.  Scale, 
of  an  inch  for  one  foot 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


131 


Fig.  6. 


Fig.  6. — Eave  and  balustrade  section  of  lob- 
by entrance.  Scale,  ^ of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  7. 


Fig.  7. — Cross  and  face  section  of  bay  win- 
dow. Scale,  i of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


132 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  8. 

Fig.  8. — Face  section  of  piazza.  Scale,  £ of 
an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  9. — Elevation  of  gablet  verge  board 
and  finial.  Scale,  h of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  10. — Face  section  of  verge  board  for 
the  ‘‘bell  cast”  gables,  or  roof.  Scale,  h of 
an  inch  for  one  foot. 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


133 


□ 


Fig.  11. 

Fig.  11. — Elevation  of  a window  and  diago- 
nal paneling  underneath  the  sill.  Scale, 
an  inch  for  one  foot. 


OC|M 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


135 


iesip  (law. 

A HALF  TIMBERED  COTTAGE. 


complexion  and  symmetry  of  the  pres- 
ent  design  was  borrowed  from  one  fur- 


nished by  the  author  for  a lodge  or  gate- 
? house  for  D.  D.  Chamberlain,  Croton 
Falls,  N.  Y.,  in  1862,  and  copied  in  The  Work- 
ing Farmer  of  that  year  from  the  Horticul- 
turist. It  cost,  at  Croton  Falls,  without  filling 
in,  $1300.  It  was  built  four  years  ago  at 
Boiling  Spring,  N.  J.,  and  cost,  with  the  pres- 
ent enlargements,  about  $2000. 

Fig.  1. — Is  a perspective  view  of  the  cottage. 
lh  stories  high,  showing  a front  dormer  which 
was  not  in  the  original  design.  The  founda- 
tions are  of  stone,  with  a cellar  built  under  the 
extension.  The  first  story  is  9 feet  high,  the 
second  story  is  9 feet  in  the  middle,  and  4 feet 
at  the  sides  of  the  rooms. 

The  frame  is  formed  of  2x4  “wall  strips/7 
and  trimmed  with  timber  casings. 


136 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


The  lower  part  weather  hoarded,  horizon- 
tally, and  the  upper  part,  from  the  plates, 
boarded  vertically,  and  furred  off  from  the 
wall  four  inches,  terminating  with  a moulding 
and  facia.  The  roofs  project  boldly  at  an  angle 
of  45  degrees,  (20  and  24  inches)  over  the 
walls,  and  are  covered  with  pine  shingles. 

Its  cost  now  would  be  from  $3000  to  $3500. 


Fig.  2. — P,  S,  passage  from  the  porch,  4 feet 
wide;  P,  parlor,  12x15  feet;  D,  dining-room, 
11 2x1 3 feet,  with  a china  closet,  3x3  feet; 
P,  S,  rear  passage  to  kitchen,  4 feet  wide,  com- 
municating with  the  stairs  to  the  second  floor, 
and  c,  c,  a coat  closet,  3x3  feet;  K,  kitchen, 
12x12  feet;  P,  Y,  pantry,  6x12  feet;  S, 
kitchen-sink  and  pump. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


137 


Fig.  3 — Second  Floor. 

Fig.  3. — P,  S,  passage,  3 and  5 feet  wide, 
communicating  with  the  bedroom  C,  10x12  ft., 
over  parlor;  B,  It,  bath-room,  6x6  feet;  S,  R, 
servants7  room,  8x12  feet  ; 0,  L,  are  closets. 


(See  Details.) 


138 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


Jftqale  Details  foil  gusign  ®uw. 


Fig.  4. 


Fig.  4. — A cross  section  showing  arrange- 
ments of  timber  casings  at  the  corners  of  the 
building.  Scale,  | of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  5. — Eave  and  wall  section.  Scale,  \ of 
an  inch  for  one  foot. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


139 


Fig.  7. 


140 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  6. — Face  and  side  section,  of  gable 
verge  board,  finial,  and  pediment.  Scale,  \ 
of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 

Fig.  7. — Face  and  side  section  of  entrance 
porch  and  door.  Scale,  1 of  an  inch  for  one 
foot. 


Fig.  8. — Cross  section,  and  elevation  of 
window  and  hood.  Scale,  % of  an  inch  for  one 
foot. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


141 


Design  ®ltrec. 

A WORKINGMAN’S  COTTAGE. 





«E  wish  we  could  plead  half  as  earn- 
estly as  we  feel  for  a better  exhibi- 
tion  °f  taste  in  the  cottages  of  the 
working  class,  for  the  tenant  on  the 
farm,  the  estate,  and  in  the  town  especially. 
The  popular  notion  that  this  class  of  dwellings 
will  do  of  any  form,  or  description  of  mate- 
rials, conveys  to  us  the  too  familiar  picture  of 
a scantling  frame  packing  case,  set  on  a loose 
underpinning,  and  on  low  ground,  boarded 
around  and  covered  with  a poor  shingle  roof, 
projecting  scarcely  enough  to  let  the  rain  drops 
clear  the  wall ; barren  and  disproportioned,  a 
good  house  for  propagating  coarseness  within, 
and  poverty  without. 

We  cannot  ascribe  the  poverty  and  mean- 
ness of  most  we  see,  and  the  scores  the  trav- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


143 


eling  public  may  see  in  the  towns  and  villages 
bordering  our  railways,  to  anything  but  the 
indifference  and  selfishness  of  landlords. 

If  there  is  power  in  fitting  forms  and  color 
to  interest,  subdue  and  educate,  why  should 
the  home  of  the  laborer  and  mechanic  be  made 
so  universally  destitute  of  simple  beauty,  and 
as  barren  as  a verdureless  field. 

If  there  are  such  intimate  relations  between 
esthetic  beauty  and  moral  excellence,  why  not 
employ  more  tact  and  talent  in  marrying  the 
useful  and  beautiful  together  here  ? 

“ The  Workingman1  s Cottage  deserves  some 
serious  consideration  /”  was  the  emphatic  de- 
claration of  one  of  the  most  subtile  critics  of 
rural  art  and  taste  we  ever  had.  It  is  not  ne- 
cessary to  get  them  up  in  villa  or  mansion 
dress,  but  relieve  their  baldness  by  the  intro- 
duction of  a few  simple  details,  well  propor- 
tioned, and  fittingly  applied.  In  our  plan  and 
elevation,  we  have  attempted  to  show  what  a 
cottage  of  this  class  may  be  with  reference  to 
outside  looks  and  internal  conveniences. 

Fig.  1. — Elevation,  H stories  high,  showing 


144 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


a porch  and  bay.  First  floor,  8 ft.  6 in.;  second 
floor,  8 ft.,  in  the  middle,  and  5 at  the  sides. 


Fig.  2,  First  floor  plan.  P,  parlor  and  di- 
ning room,  12x12  feet;  K,  kitchen,  12x12 
feet;  B,  B,  bed  room,  7x10  feet;  P,  pantry, 
3x8  feet ; H,  hall,  6x7  feet.  A cellar  is  pro- 
vided under  the  whole  of  the  first  floor,  6 ft. 
6 in.  deep,  lighted  and  ventilated.  Second  floor 
contains  three  bed  rooms  and  two  closets. 
Cost  $1,400  without  filling  in,  or  back  plaster. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


145 


iesip  Jmtr. 

A SEMI-SWISS  ORNEE  DWELLING. 





FIGURE  1 , is  a perspective  view,  and 


$ Fig.  2,  3,  and  4 are  plans  of  a “ Swiss 


>&*M 

Ornee 

ssSH 

j>bS 


Frame  Dwelling,  built  for  the 
Rev.  F.  F.  Ellinwood,  at  Orange,  N.  J. 
Its  location  is  near  the  Talley  Station  of  the 
Morris  & Essex  R.  R.,  on  a fine  westerly  slope 
opposite  the  Orange  mountain  range,  and  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  extensive  suburban 
improvements  projected  and  carried  on  by  the 
energy  and  enterprise  of  a resident  of  Orange, 
J.  S.  Otis. 

The  external  details  of  the  dwelling,  though 
not  clearly  indicated  in  the  view,  are  quite  or- 
nate in  character,  and  as  a whole  add  largely 
to  the  embellishments  and  improvements  of 

the  neighborhood. 

7 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


147 


The  dwelling  contains  fourteen  rooms,  and 
cost  about  $8,500. 

The  main  building  is  17x36  feet  with  a dor- 
mer lean-to,  9 feet  6 inches  wide,  which  covers 
the  study  and  a part  of  the  hall.  The  exten- 
sion on  the  opposite  side  is  16x18  feet.  The 
tower,  which  is  a prominent  and  useful  feature, 
is  12x12  and  44  feet  high,  and  located  to  cov- 
er a portion  of  the  hall  and  command  an  ex- 
tensive view  of  the  Orange  mountain,  “Llew- 
ellyn Park/7  and  portions  of  the  upper  and 
lower  valley.  The  stories  are  respectively  10, 
9,  and  8 feet.  The  stories  of  the  tower  are  9 
feet  high  each,  above  the  first,  which  is  10 
feet. 

The  roofs  are  covered  with  plain  blue  and 
pattern  slate,  underlaid  with  tarred  paper. 
The  walls  are  filled  in  with  brick  on  edge,  si- 
ded, ceiled,  and  paneled  outside,  and  lathed  and 
plastered  with  three-coat  work  inside,  and  the 
entire  construction  designed  to  be  in  all  re- 
spects workmanlike,  substantial  and  in  harmo- 
ny with  the  general  style. 


148 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


REFERENCES. 

H,  Hall,  11x19  feet. 

P,  Parlor,  16x17  feet. 

D,  R,  Dining  Room,  13x16  feet. 
K,  Kitchen,  12x14  feet. 

P,  Pantry,  5x9  feet. 

C,  Store  Closet,  3^x5  feet. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


149 


C,  C,  C,  0,  Sleeping  Rooms,  13x15,  11x11, 
9x13,  and  12x14  feet  respectively. 

B,  R,  Bath  Room,  8x9  feet. 

C,  R,  Children’s  Room,  12x15  feet. 

C,  L,  Large  Closet,  5ixl2  feet. 


ATTIC. 

The  attic  contains  three  rooms,  about  10x12 
feet,  and  a tower-loft,  10x10  feet. 


150 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Design  Jiue* 

CLEMATIS  COTTAGE. 


?|Nj^IGURE  1 7 is  a view  of  a Cottage  re- 
modelled  for  Jacob  Hays,  Esq.,  at  In- 
wood,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Hudson.  The 
main  portion,  presenting  the  gable  to 
the  front,  was  built  new  from  the  foundations, 
and  the  entire  cost,  in  ’64,  the  time  at  which 
the  remodelling  was  done,  did  not  exceed 
$2,800.  Naturally,  the  dwelling  at  its  base, 
is  shut  in  on  the  flank,  by  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  has  a high  background  of  rugged  hills; 
and  is  not  so  evenly  graded  about  the  front 
as  represented  in  the  view. 

Fig.  2,  first  floor.  Rooms  as  follows  : H,  It, 
Dining  Room,  15x18  feet ; S,  R,  Sewing  Room, 
10x15  feet,  with  closet ; P,  P,  double  Parlor  ; 
15x20  feet,  with  closet.  The  front  lobby, 
which  opens  into  either  room,  up  stairs  and  on 


Fig.  1. 


152 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  porch,  is  5 x6  ft.,  and  tessellated.  The  back 
entry  communicates  with  the  passage  and 
stairs,  to  the  kitchen  and  cellar  in  the  base- 
ment. 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


153 


Fig.  3,  chamber  floor.  C,  C,  two  gable  end 
chambers,  11x15  feet,  with  closets;  C,  C,  two 
back  chambers,  11x12  and  10x10  feet,  with 
closets  ; H,  hall  and  passage,  4 feet  wide.  This 
hall  communicates  with  two  rooms  in  the  attic 
for  servants. 


Fig.  4,  basement.  K,  kitchen,  11x14  feet, 
with  pump  and  sink;  P,  large  pantry;  C,  C, 
cellars;  A,  area,  underneath  the  piazza  floor, 
where  there  is  a water  closet. 

7* 


154 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Design  $i*. 

A SYMMETRICAL  COTTAGE. 


(IGURE  1,  is  a perspective  view  of  a 
£ small  symmetrical  cottage,  designed  for 
a gate-lodge,  but  adapted  to  almost  any 
^ situation  in  the  country ; would  do  well 
for  a farm,  or  village  tenant,  or  make  a com- 
fortable and  tasteful  home  for  the  clerk  or  me- 
chanic just  starting  in  life,  and  at  a cost  of 
about  $2,000. 

The  size  of  the  building  is  16x26  feet,  two 
stories.  First  story,  9 feet,  second  story,  8 
feet  high,  with  a cellar  6 feet  high,  under  the 
whole.  The  side  wings  which  break  the  uni- 
formity of  outline,  giving  it  a symmetrical 
cast,  are  8,  6x13  feet.  The  piazza  is  6 s feet 
wide,  with  a simple  open  timber  roof,  and  in 
lieu  of  square  posts  could  have  rustic  ones  of 
cedar  or  hemlock  from  the  woods. 


Fig.  1. 


156 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


Fig.  2,  is  the  first  floor.  P,  parlor,  12x15 
feet;  K,  kitchen,  12x15  feet ; B,  B,  bed  room, 
8x12  feet;H,  lobby  or  entry,  6x8  feet;P, 
pantry,  6x8  feet. 


L_. 

Fig.  3. 


Fig.  3,  second  floor,  has  two  bedrooms,  one 
12x15  feet,  and  one  9x12  feet;  C,  L,  closet, 
4x6  feet;  H,  hall,  6 feet  wide.  The  above 
estimate  includes  a sink  and  pump  in  rear  en- 
try, with  a 6 x 6 foot  cistern,  and  connections. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


157 


A SMALL  YILLA  OF  BLOWN  STONE. 




■ESIGN  7,  is  the  first  of  a series  made  for 
J.  S.  Otis,  of  Orange,  N.  J.,  in  accord- 
ance  with  a plan  for  the  improvement 
of  his  property.  It  was  designed  for  a 
family  residence,  and  to  be  built  of  Jersey 
brown  stone,  which  is  abundant  in  the  moun- 
tain ledges  of  Orange. 

Fig.  1,  is  a perspective  view  of  the  dwelling 
in  the  Semi-Gothic  style,  representing  a front- 
age of  80  feet,  and  a depth  of  30  feet.  The 
stories  are,  first,  10  feet  6 inches;  second,  9 
feet  6 inches ; attic,  9 feet  in  the  middle.  Base- 
ment, 8 feet  6 inches  high. 

Fig.  2.  H,  hall,  10  feet  wide  ; P,  parlor,  14x20 
feet;  D,  dining  room,  14x20  feet;  K,  kitchen, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


159 


15x15  feet ; C,  L,  closets  ; P,  Y,  large  pantry  ; 
C,  conservatory  from  dining  room. 


Fig.  3.—H,  hall,  10  feet  wide;  S,  owner's 
study,  10x10  feet;  C,  C,  principal  chambers, 
14x20feet;  C,  P,  children’s  rooms,  8x10  feet; 
B,  R,  bath  room,  10x12  feet;  C,  L,  closets. 

Attic  contains  three  fine  rooms ; basement 
contains  laundry,  second  kitchen,  and  cellar. 


160 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


grails  for  lesip 


Fig.  4. 


Fig.  4. — Face  section  of  oriel  window.  Scale, 


Fig.  8. 


OC(H. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


161 


Fig.  5. — Spandrel  panels  for  window  heads. 
Scale,  J of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 

Fig.  6.— Hood  bracket.  Scale,  £ of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 

Fig.  7. — Elevation  of  front  door.  Scale,  § 
of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 

Fig.  8. — Half  elevation  of  pavillion.  Scale, 
h of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  9. 

Fig.  9. — Face  section  of  verge  board.  Scale, 
of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 

Fig.  10. — Half  elevation  of  front  porch. 
Scale,  8 of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


162 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Design  (Sight. 

A SEASIDE  COTTAGE. 

BAYSIDE,  S.  I. 


|p^ROBABLY  no  section  of  our  country  of- 
fers  such  scope  for  the  ingenuity  of  the 
designer  in  harmonizing  architectural 
forms  with  location  and  scenery,  as  our 
metropolitan  suburbs. 

Go  in  any  direction  we  choose  within  a ra- 
dius of  20  or  30  miles  from  Yew  York,  and 
we  may  find  sufficient  variety  in  the  landscape 
to  inspire  fresh  thoughts  in  the  illustration  of  a 
design  for  a suburban  dwelling,  and  yet  archi- 
tects do  not  always  improve  their  opportuni- 
ties in  this  respect — either  because  they  have 
not  visited  the  site  proposed  for  the  dwelling, 
— have  had  no  proper  description  of  where  it  is 
to  be  built,  or  do  not  realize  that  it  may  ac- 


164 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


quire  a character  for  fitness  and  harmony  by 
a proper  study  of  the  locality. 

The  annexed  design  for  a seaside  cottage,  of 
which  Fig.  1 is  a perspective  view,  was  built 
for  C.  E.  Robins,  Esq.,  at  Eltingville,  Staten 
Island.  It  is  situated  about  one  thousand  feet 
from  the  shore  of  the  lower  Bay  of  New  York, 
looking  out  upon  Sandy  Hook,  the  highlands 
of  Nevesink,  and  the  ocean  beyond,  and  in  full 
view  of  every  vessel  that  enters  or  leaves  the 
harbor. 

The  grounds  (some  nine  acres)  are  tastefully 
laid  out,  and  the  large  amount  of  fruit  and  or- 
namental planting— the  former  of  the  finest  va- 
rieties, arranged  in  quincunx,  each  row  in  the 
order  of  ripening — and  the  latter  judiciously 
chosen  and  effectively  disposed  in  groups  and 
masses — when  a few  years  older,  will  be  very 
effective  as  well  as  valuable. 

Fig.  2,  represents  the  first  floor,  enclosing 
an  area  which  includes  the  extent  of  the  build- 
ing in  compact  form,  25  feet  front,  by  35  feet 
deep.  L,  lobby,  6x6  feet;  P,  parlor,  15x15 
feet;  D,  R,  dining  room,  15x19  feet,  with 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


165 


closet,  3s  feet,  and  a waiter;  S,  study,  8x9 
feet;  H,  hall,  8x17  feet;  P,  porch,  6x10  feet 


166 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  3,  second  floor.  H,  hall ; C,  C,  C,  bed- 
rooms, 15x15,  15x19,  and  8x10  feet  respec- 
tively ; B,  balcony,  6x10  feet,  railed ; C,  L, 
closets,  3 4 feet  each. 


Fig.  4,  basement.  A,  area,  5x8  feet;  P, 
passage  or  hall,  7x17  feet,  communicating 
with  cellar  and  milk-room  in  the  front;  K, 
kitchen,  14x18  feet;  P,  pantry,  7x74  feet; 
C.  cellar,  13x13  feet.*  The  dwelling  is 
25x35  feet;  14  stories  high;  1st  story  9 feet; 
2d  story,  84  feet  at  the  plates.  The  follow- 

* Some  changes  were  made,  including  more  closet  room, 
than  the  engraved  plan  shows 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


167 


ing  gives  a condensed  view  of  the  desirable 
points  of  the  dwelling : 

1.  Two  balconies,  looking  out  on  the  ocean. 

2.  The  building  stands  so  related  to  the 
points  of  the  compass  that  the  sun  shines  on 
every  side  during  a part  of  every  24  hours. 

3.  Fourteen  closets,  most  of  them  of  large 
capacity. 

4.  Rain  and  slop  cisterns,  sink  and  water  in 
kitchen. 

5.  Study,  or  library,  is  fitted  up  to  he  used 
as  an  office  or  business  room,  bracketed  shelves 
for  law  and  business  books,  and  miscellaneous 
library  with  glass  doors,  letter  press  and  large 
writing  desk,  also  clotlies-closet  behind  waiter, 
answering  to  a vault  for  books  and  papers  of 
account,  etc. 

6.  Attic,  under  deck  or  flat,  finished  as  ser- 
vants’ sleeping  room. 

7.  Shelved  milk-room. 

8.  But  one  chimney  stack. 

9.  Filled  in  with  hard  brick. 

10.  House  and  adjacent  ground  thoroughly 
drained  with  stone  and  tile  drains. 


168 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


The  entire  cost,  as  above  described,  foots 
up  within  $4,500. 

We  give  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Rob- 
ins , who  has  kindly  permitted  us  to  publish  it : 

N.  Y.,  Nov.  4,  1867. 

D.  T.  Atwood,  Esq.: 

Dear  Sir  : — The  lodge  and  stable  recently  com- 
pleted for  me  at  Bay  Side,  have  elicited  general  and 
marked  commendation  from  those  whose  opinion  is 
more  valuable,  as  being  less  likely  to  be  partial,  than 
mine.  Our  friends  generally  express  surprise  at  the 
capacity  and  convenient  arrangement  of  the  rooms  in 
the  lodge,  and  particularly  at  the  size.  Among  many 
other  excellencies,  I think  that  this  is  the  peculiar  merit 
of  both  these  buildings — and  it  is  just  the  point  in  which 
there  are  the  greatest  number  of  architectural  failures. 
It  is  an  easy  matter  for  any  draughtsman  to  get  up  a 
showy  facade;  but  to  combine  harmoniously  beauty  with 
use,  to  make  a comparatively  inexpensive  dwelling,  sym- 
metrical and  graceful  in  its  outlines,  and  thoroughly 
comfortable  to  live  in,  requires  some  study,  and  in  a 
small  house,  more  professional  ability  than  in  a large 
one.  I will  add,  after  two  months  occupancy,  which  is 
the  architect’s  highest  praise,  that  I see  nothing  to  im- 
prove in  the  form  or  arrangement  of  either  building,  and 
had  I to  erect  them  again,  I would  simply  duplicate 
your  plans.  Very  truly, 

C.  E.  Robins. 

The  following  is  the  elevation  of  the  stable 
erected  at  the  same  time. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


1C9 


Ifsip  Jline. 

A SUBURBAN  STABLE. 



SE  may  remark,  that  buildings  in  the 
suburbs  of  our  large  cities  are  no  lon- 
^^$5?  ger  the  distasteful  objects  they  were 
half  a generation  ago,  or  before  busi- 
ness and  professional  men  sought  in  earnest 
the  recuperative  enjoyments  of  suburban  and 
country  life. 

Outbuildings  particularly  were  inconvenient 
and  expressionless.  Now  they  are  as  defini- 
tively classed  as  any  in  the  architectural  series, 
and  in  order  that  they  may  harmonize  with 
the  modern  dwelling,  it  becomes  the  duty  of 
the  designer  to  clothe  them  with  some  perma- 
nent marks  of  beauty,  culture,  refinement, 

home-comfort,  fitness. 

8 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


171 


This  design  gives  evidence  of  a more  careful 
study  than  such  buildings  commonly  receive. 
It  was  originally  to  have  been  built  of  concrete, 
with  hard  burned  brick  facings,  window  and 
door  jambs,  and  quoins  ; but  on  account  of  the 
difficulty  experienced  in  obtaining  the  labor 
sufficiently  skilled  in  that  class  of  work,  it  was 
executed  in  wood  with  vertically  boarded  and 
battened  walls,  and  slate  roofs.  Cost,  $2,200. 

Fig.  1,  is  the  elevation  of  the  entrance  front 
towards  the  Lodge  and  Dwelling.  The  build- 
ing is  80x30  feet,  and  16  feet  high  from  the 
water-table  to  the  plates.  The  roof  is  fixed 
at  a quarter  pitch,  and  projected  boldly  at  the 
eaves,  and  is  surmounted  with  a concave  roof 
ventilator,  12x12  feet,  and  upon  this  a wren 
turret.  Referring  to  the  plans, 

Fig.  2,  is  the  first  floor,  with  coach  room,  tool 
room,  six  stalls,  and  stairs  to  the  basement. 

5 Fig.  3,  is  the  second  floor,  with  man’s  room, 
feed-bins,  and  a spacious  loft  properly  lighted 
and  thoroughly  ventilated.  The  water  which 
falls  upon  the  roof  is  conducted  to  a large 
cistern  provided  with  a chain  pump. 


172 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


In  the  barnyard  is  the  pig-pen,  corn-crib, 
and  manure  cistern,  with  every  convenience 
for  facilitating  and  saving  labor  about  the 
stable. 


REFERENCES. 

1,  Coach  Room,  14Jx20  feet. 

2,  Tool  Room,  8x9  feet. 

3,  Stalls,  44  and  5x8  feet,  and  passage 
5x29  feet. 


1,  Man’s  room,  8x9  feet. 

2,  Loft,  20x29  feet,  6 feet  at  the  plates, 
and  15  feet  high  under  the  ventilator. 

3,  Feed  Bin. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES- 


173 


Styate  fail  Imp  gi nt. 


Fig.  4. — Elevation  of  one  half  the  ventilator. 
Scale,  g of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  5. 

Fig.  5. — Eave  section,  showing  projection, 
&c.,  of  cornice.  Scale,  § of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


174 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  6. — Vertical  section  and  half  face  view 
of  loft  windows.  Scale,  l of  an  inch  for  one 
foot. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


175 


Scsijn  <$«t. 


A COUNTRY  CHURCH. 





E offer  the  accompanying  design  of  a 
&&  Country  Chapel,  with  lecture-room 


attached,  as  a fair  type  of  what  such 
structures  should  be.  It  at  least  fills 
our  conception  of  the  harmonious  in  country 
life  and  worship. 

We  would  not  have  for  this  purpose,  in  any 
rural  district,  a stately  or  costly  edifice  to 
nourish  the  pride  of  a few  and  discourage  the 
many.  Humility  and  simplicity  should  be  the 
ruling  thought  in  all  our  rural  chapels,  in  the 
arrangement  of  their  proportions,  and  in  their 
decorations.  We  would  not  deny  enough  of 
ecclesiastical  dignity  to  indicate  the  purpose 
of  the  building,  because  this  would  be  admissi- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


177 


ble  and  consistent.  But  we  would  try  to  em- 
body that  sentiment  of  the  human  heart  which 
endorses  the  equality  of  all  loving  souls  towards 
the  Master,  so  that  if  the  building  could  utter 
any  language  it  would  be  a hearty  and  em- 
phatic invitation  to  enter  and  praise  the  Great 
Author  of  our  being. 

We  love  low  eave-lines,  as  speaking  to  us 
of  the  hand  which  reaches  low  to  lift  the  hum- 
blest ; and  the  high  roof,  indicative  of  that  full 
and  compassionate  protection  whose  unvarying 
lines  meet  at  the  summit  of  perfection — Truth 
— and  the  trim  spire  reaching  modestly  above 
the  rooftrees  of  the  village  dwellings,  rendering 
unnecessary  the  oft  repeated  question,  “ Where 
is  your  Church.7’ 

The  design,  of  which  Fig.  1 is  a perspective 
view,  was  the  first  prepared  for  the  Carmel  M. 
E.  Church,  Putnam  Co.,  N.  Y.,  but  being 
deemed  inadequate  to  the  wants  of  a large  and 
populous  parish,  was  superseded  by  a larger 
one,  on  the  same  ground  plan,  and  executed  in 
stone,  quarried  from  the  neighborhood. 

Fig.  2. — The  plan,  is  40x70  feet,  for  audito- 

8* 


178 


COUNTRY  HOUSES 


rium  and  16x24  feet  for  lecture  and  school- 
room. The  audience  room  will  seat  350  to 
400  persons.  There  are  no  galleries,  only  an 
organ  and  choir  loft  over  the  lobby.  The  in- 
terior is  finished  in  chestnut,  oiled ; the  roof 
open,  and  ceiled  from  wall  plates  to  ridge  pole. 
The  cost  of  this  chapel  in  any  convenient  su- 
burban district,  two  to  four  hours  from  New 
York,  would  be  about  $15,000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES, 


179 


A COUNTRY  CHURCH. 


flfiiREW  M*  E*  CHUIlCH*  Thus  stands 

the  title  on  the  mural  tablet  over  the 
J 1 doorway  of  a church  edifice  of  pleasing 


proportions  and  excellent  construction 
in  the  beautiful  village  of  Carmel,  Putnam  Co., 
New  York — built  mainly  by  the  munificent 
contributions  of  its  founder,  Daniel  Drew,  Esq., 
for  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Parish  of  that 


It  is  chiefly  interesting  to  the  architect  and 
connoisseur,  as  an  example  of  how  the  earliest 
pointed  Gothic  architecture,  devoid  of  decora- 
tion, may  be  economically  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  an  American  Parish — serve  the  inter- 
ests of  congregational  worship  of  to-day,  and 


place. 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


181 


at  the  same  time  preserve  the  essential  part  of 
that  sentiment  of  structural  worship,  and  as- 
piring praise,  developed  through  the  progress 
of  church  art,  from  the  opening  portal  of  the 
first  Christian  church,  to  the  consummated 
idea  of  temple  worship,  realized  in  those  grand- 
ly overarching  vaultings  of  the  Gothic  nave. 

In  this  example  the  form  has  been  harmo- 
nized to  meet  what  was  considered  desirable 
acoustic  properties,  and  the  wants  of  that  in- 
dividual parish. 

The  proportions  of  the  Church  are,  for 
the  length,  a little  over  a cube  and  one  half, 
or  70  feet;  and  the  height  about  a cube, 
or  44  feet,  from  the  auditorium  to  the  centre 
of  the  arched  ceiling.  The  width  is  also  44 
feet,  giving  an  oblong  plan ; a vestry  room  at 
the  rear,  30x40  feet;  and  a clear  and  spacious 
audience  room,  unobstructed  by  columns,  and 
spaned  by  a tudor-arched  ceiling,  supported  at 
intervals  of  12  feet,  by  heavy  timbered  princi- 
pal rafters  exposed  below  the  ceiling,  stained 
and  varnished. 

The  interior  of  the  church  is  finished  plainly 


182 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


Fig.  2. 


yet  handsomely,  and  in  keeping  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  exterior. 

The  pulpit  and  altar  are  finished  with  black 
walnut,  with  a frescoed  reredos  at  the  back. 

Over  the  lobby  opposite  is  the  organ  loft, 
communicated  with  from  below.  The  ceilings 
are  richly  frescoed  in  panels  between  the  prin- 
cipals, on  a light  blue  ground,  and  the  side 
walls  colored  a light  warm  drab  in  distemper. 
Windows  are  filled  in  with  stained  glass,  and 
the  trefoil  and  quarter-foil  apertures  with  flam-^ 
boyant  patterns,  by  Hamilton  & Son.  Pews 
are  of  pine,  with  black  walnut  trimmings, 
oiled  and  varnished.  Aisles  are  paved  with 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


183 


Minton’s  encaustic  tiles.  For  heating  and  ven- 
tilating ample  provisions  have  been  made,  and 
the  building  thus  affords  the  means  of  worship 
to  a congregation  of  from  500  to  700  persons, 
at  a cost  not  exceeding  $40,000,  including  the 
iron  fencing  and  gates  for  both  church  and 
parsonage. 

Externally,  the  prominent  feature  is  the 
tower  and  spire,  on  the  right  front  corner,  100 
feet  high,  forming  one  of  the  side  entrances  to 
the  lobby,  and  a conspicuous  mark  for  miles 
around,  and  in  pleasing  contrast  with  the 
strangely  picturesque  scenery  of  the  hills. 

An  attempt  to  symmetrize  the  front  will  be 
observed  on  the  left  of  the  middle  entrance, 
by  carrying  up  a buttressed  wall  vail,  a prac- 
tice not  uncommon,  but  questionable  in  an 
esthetic  sense,  in  so  small  a building.  The 
walls  of  the  building  were  built  entirely  of 
stone,  in  random  course,  with  hammered  stone 
dressings,  taken  from  the  immense  beds  of 
drift  rock  and  granitic  nuclei  existing  in  the 
neighborhood. 


I 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


185 


Ifatjgit  Iweltie. 

A COUNTRY  CHURCH. 


REFERENCES. 

)IGUPE  1,  front  elevation  of  the  Pres- 
byterian  Parish  Church,  at  Goshen, 
Orange  Co.,  Y.  Y. 

Fig.  2,  side  elevation  of  the  same. 


Fig.  3. — Plan. 


186 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  L 


Fig.  4. — Transverse  section,  showing  open 
timber  roof,  walls  and  buttresses.  Scale  24  feet 
to  one  inch. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


187 


^p^ifiipturns 

FOR  THE  GOSHEN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

DIMENSIONS. 

Outside  size  of  Church,  66x109  feet.  Outside  of  tower, 
30x30  feet.  Height  of  side  walls,  33  feet,  and  height  of 
gable  ends  from  the  ground  level  to  apex,  70  feet. 

Height  of  the  tower  and  spire  inclusive,  180  feet,  or  six 
times  its  diameter  from  the  ground  line  to  the  apex,  or 
finial. 

The  audience  room  will  be  62x90  feet,  and  covered  with 
an  open  timbered  roof.  Lobby  15x62  feet. 

There  will  be  an  altar  recess,  as  per  plan,  with  an  altar 
window.  Also,  an  organ  loft  and  side  galleries. 

CHAPEL  PLANS. 

Plans  for  a chapel  accompanying  the  church  plans,  pro- 
viding for  a lecture  room  on  first  floor,  36x50,  and  a school 
room  on  2d  floor,  36x58  feet.  All  in  the  pointed  Gothic 
Style  of  Architecture.  The  Church  plans  are  drawn  to  a 
scale  for  ground  plan  of  % of  an  inch  for  1 foot,  and  for 
elevations  3-32  of  an  inch  for  1 foot.  The  Chapel  plans 
are  all  drawn  to  a scale  of  3-32  o^an  inch  for  1 foot,  or  16 
feet  to  inches  of  the  rule,  or  scale.  [See  Plans.] 

MASON  WORK. 

Excavate  for  a basement  under  the  audience  room  8 feet 
deep  below  the  audience  floor.  Excavate  for  4x4  feet 
areas  on  each  side,  to  light  the  same;  also,  for  entrance  area 
on  left  side,  or  side  opposite  the  tower,  6x10  feet.  Exca- 
vate for  the  tower  and  foundations, as  per  plans,  allowing  18 
inches  on  all  sides  for  footings.  Excavate  for  the  tower 
foundations  to  a depth  of  8 feet,  and  for  all  other  founda- 
tions, including  those  of  the  chapel,  to  a depth  of  5 feet 
below  the  grade;  make  all  required  excavations  for  drains, 


188 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


flues,  piers,  required  to  make  the  work  complete.  Excavate 
for  a cistern  10  feet  in  diameter,  and  10  feet  deep;  also,  fora 
cess-pool  6x8  feet,  at  the  rear  of  building,  as  directed. 

STONE  WORK 

tl  Will  be  according  to  plans  and  working  drawings,  and  of 
the  blue  stone  quarried  in  the  neighborhood  of  Goshen, 
N.  Y.  The  body  of  all  the  walls  and  backing  up  will  be  of 
rubble  stone  as  it  comes  from  the  quarry.  All  the  base  and 
string  courses,  arch  stones,  archivolts,  buttress-caps,  sills 
and  quoin  stones,  will  be  dressed  or  tooled,  worked  plain 
and  rough  to  beds  and  joints.  Pinacles  and  finials  will  be 
wrought  of  stone,  and  the  spire  will  be  built  of  stone 
worked  plain  and  rough  to  beds  and  joints,  all  in  accordance 
with  the  working  drawings. 

FOOTINGS. 

Build  all  the  footings  of  rubble  stone,  laid  up  in  cement 
mortar,  and  broad  enough  to  project  six  inches  on  each  side 
of  all  foundations  of  the  body  walls  or  buttresses,  and  30 
inches  deep,  or  high,  for  all  except  tower  foundations,  these 
k>  have  footings  4 feet  high.  For  the  basement  walls  the 
footings  must  be  placed  below  the  depth  specified  for  the 
excavation. 

THICKNESS  OF  WALLS. 

Build  the  walls  for  the  body  of  church  and  chapel  24  inches 
thick  above  the  base,  and  from  thence  to  the  plates  and 
ridges,  except  on  the  front,  where  archivolts  are  formed 
around  the  entrances,  and  capped  with  string  courses. 

} Walls  around  middle  front  entrance  to  be  4 feet  thick,  and 
around  side  walls  3 feet  thick,  as  per  elevation. 

BASE  COURSE. 

Project  the  base  course,  also  the  foundations  all  around, 6 
inches  outside  the  superstructure  walls,  as  shown.  The  sub- 
base for  tower,  has  a moulded  member  which  will  project  3 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


189 


inches  beyond  the  superstructure,  making  altogether  a 9 
inch  projection  around  the  superstructure  of  the  tower,  as 
shown.  Build  the  walls  of  the  tower  above  the  foundations 
and  base  4 feet  thick,  and  draw  in  at  the  four  corners  at  the 
junction  of  the  spire  to  receive  the  same  in  the  form  of  an 
octagon,  as  shown.  Build  the  body  of  the  tower  64  feet  high 
from  the  grade  to  spire  base,  and  carry  up  the  gable  or  pedi- 1 
ment  walls  on  all  sides,  so  as  to  make  their  height  from  the 
grade  77  feet.  Build  the  spire  of  stone,  leaving  dormer  open- 
ings, as  per  elevations,  and  110  feet  from  the  top  of  the  but- 
tresses to  the  finial.  Build  the  base  of  spire  walls  at  the 
starting  4 feet  thick  on  every  side,  and  diminish  uniformly  to 
3 feet  at  the  top.  Lay  [all  the  stone  in  the  best  cement 
mortar,  and  bind  as  directed  by  the  details.  Work  a finial 
of  stone,  and  secure  the  same  by  a long  anchor-rod  of 
wrought  iron,  passing  through  the  point  down  inside  and 
secured  with  a sufficient  weight,  as  directed.  Diameter  of  the 
finial  stem  will  be  20  to  24  inches.  See  working  sections  of 
spire  and  spire  base. 

BUTTRESSES. 

Build  buttresses  for  the  main  building  3x6  feet.  For  the 
chapel  2>£ x5  feet.  For  the  tower  4x8,  with  “set-off,” 
face  as  shown,  and  capped  with  worked  blue  stone  caps  as 
per  detail. 


STONE  CORNICES  AND  FINIALS. 

Provide  and  fix  stone  eave  and  raking  cornices  12x20 
inches,  and  of  stone  broad  enough  on  the  gables  to  form  a 
coping  30  inches  wide.  Surmouut  the  front  apex  with  a 
stone  cruciform  finial,  as  shown,  12  inches  thick.  Surmount 
the  angle  buttresses  with  octagonal  turret  points  4 feet  in 
diameter  at  the  base.  Build  octagonal  turrets  8 feet  in  dia- 
meter at  the  front  angles  of  the  chapel,  of  stone,  one  sur- 
mounted with  a spire  point,  and  the  other  capped  with  a flat 
octagonal  cap  of  cut  stone,  as  shown.  [See  details.] 


190 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


OPENINGS. 

Leave  openings  in  the  walls,  as  per  plan,  for  doors  and 
windows.  Side  window  openings  for  audience  room  will  be 
8x20  feet.  For  the  chapel,  6 x20  feet.  For  the  tower-room, 
12x26  feet.  For  the  organ  loft,  14x26  feet.  For  the  altar 
recess,  15x30  feet.  The  opening  for  the  middle  entrance 
doors  is  10x20  feet,  and  the  opening  for  side  doors,  6x15 
feet. 

POINTING  WITH  CEMENT. 

Point  up  all  stone  work,  after  the  walls  are  completed 
(except  spires),  with  cement  mortar,  colored,  to  produce  a 
gray  joint;  clean  out  and  wash  the  lime  joints  before  point- 
ing. 

IRON  WORK. 

Provide  and  fix  all  necessary  iron  anchors,  stirrups,  camps> 
&c. , required  by  working  plans  to  bind  the  stone  work  to- 
gether. Have  the  carpenter,  or  notify  him,  to  place  wooden 
bonds  as  the  work  progresses,  etc. 

BRICK  WORK. 

Provide  and  lay  the  lobby  partition  wall,  supporting  or- 
gan loft,  of  hard  brick,  starting  on  a stone  wall  18  inches 
thick  in  the  basement;  build  said  wall  12  inches  thick,  leav- 
ing door  openings,  as  per  plan.  Lay  an  8 inch  brick  back- 
ing to  form  the  box  for  sliding  entrance  doors,  as  shown. 
Lay  brick  piers  for  the  support  of  the  audience  room  floor 
20x20  inches,  and  24x24.  Form  the  smoke  flues  of  hard 
brick.  Lay  all  inside  skew  back,  lintel  or  other  constructive 
arches,  of  hard  brick. 

CISTERN. 

Build  the  cistern  of  brick,  laying  an  8 inch  side  wall  and 
covering  with  a segmental  arch  of  brick  in  the  usual  man- 
ner. Plaster  to  make  water  tight,  and  provide  and  lay  the 
necessary  supply  and  waste  drains. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


191 


CESS- POOL. 

Build  the  cess-pool,  if  one  is  required,  of  rough  stone, 
and  cover  with  broad  flat  stone. 

FLUES,  AC. 

Form  a niche  and  closet  in  the  tower  wall,  as  per  plan, 
and  build  ventilating  flues,  as  per  plans,  for  the  admission 
of  fresh  air,  and  to  conduct  the  foul  air  from  the  rooms. 

STEPS. 

Build,  or  provide  and  fix  plain  cut  stone  steps  for  all  door 
openings  as  per  plans,  the  last  step  to  form  a platform  of  the 
size  on  the  plan. 

Lath  and  plaster  side  walls  (on  furring)  in  the  audience, 
lecture  and  school  rooms,  tower  room,  and  on  the  ceilings 
between  the  principal  rafters  and  frame  work,  with  the  best 
three-coat  work,  consisting  of  a coat  of  scratch,  a brown 
coat,  well  floated  and  straightened,  to  receive  the  last 
coat  which  will  be  the  hard  finish.  The  angles  and  corners 
of  all  window  jambs  will  be  trimmed  with  a Gothic  ret  bead, 
and  the  plaster  “ flushed  up”  to  them. 

DEAFEN. 

Deafen  the  floors  of  the  audience  room,  chapel,  galleries 
and  tower,  over  proper  “ sound  boarding,”  to  be  put  in  by 
the  carpenter.  Use  “ coarse  stuff and  lay  a thickness  of 
3 inches  between  each  beam. 

GROUT,  AC. 

Grout  the  cellar  bottom  or  basement,  also  the  areas,  and 
plaster  the  side  and  end  walls.  Lath  and  plaster  the  ceiling 
of  the  basement. 

AREAS. 

Build  the  areas  for  windows  and  doors,  as  per  plan,  and 
cap  with  large  flat  blue  stone  4 to  6 inches  thick.  Provide 
and  fix  coal-shoots,  and  cold  air  box  openings,  as  per  base- 
ment plan. 


192 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


CARPENTER  WORK — TIMBER  AND  FRAMING. 

Provide  spruce  timber  and  scantlings  for  floors,  partitions 
and  girders  and  for  the  lighter  portion  of  the  roof;  provide 
pine  for  the  balance.  Floor  beams  must  be  3 x 12  inches, 
placed  12  inches  apart  from  centers,  bridged  every  10  feet; 
and  the  audience  floor  supported  by  three  tiers  of  girders 
6x10  inches,  resting  on  brick  piers  in  the  basement,  8 feet 
apart.  Scantling  for  gallery  floors  must  be  4x6  inches,  and 
4x8  inches,  and  furring  off  do,  2x4  and  3x4  inches. 
Plates  4x12  to  lay  on  the  wall  and  anchor  thereto.  For  the 
roof  of  church  and  chapel,  provide  the  following  sizes: 
Principal  rafters  over  the  open  timbers  5 xl2  inches,  common 
do.  3x6 inches,  purlins  4x10 inches,  ridge-pole  4x10 inches. 
For  sizes  of  open  timber  roof,  see  plan  of  same. 

ROOFING. 

Provide  and  frame  open  timber  principal  rafters  of  pine, 
as  per  detail,  and  indicated  by  following  figure.  Plane  off 
all  the  timbers  to  receive  paint  and  stains,  and  fill  in  with 
2 and  3 inch  quarter  and  trefoil  panels,  with  margins  cham- 
fered; support  each  end  of  the  hammer  beam  with  column, 
as  per  detail,  8 inches  in  diameter,  resting  upon  stone  corbels 
projecting  from  the  walls.  Secure  all  joints  of  the  frame- 
work with  wrought  anchors  and  bands  made  to  accommo- 
date the  various  angles  of  the  pieces,  and  bolted  through 
from  side  to  side. 

Over  the  principal  rafters  place  the  common  do.,  pur- 
lins and  jack  rafters,  the  latter  lay  on  purlins  16  inches 
from  centers  up  and  down,  and  cover  the  whole  roof  with 
common,  mill  worked  pine  boards. 

Build  chapel  roof  in  the  same  manner  and  style,  as  per 
framing  plans,  and  cover  the  whole  with  Pennsylvania  blue 
slate,  with  bands  to  relieve  in  cruciform  and  triangular 
patterns,  as  shown;  size  of  slates,  8x16  inches. 

Provide  and  lay  tarred  paper,  or  a paper  saturated  with 
tar,  before  laying  the  slate,  properly  lapped  and  secured  to 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


193 


the  roof  boarding.  Use  galvanized  iron  nails,  not  less  than 
4d  size,  and  not  less  than  2 nails  to  each  slate.  Provide  61b 
lead  flashings  and  valleys,  also  gutters,  as  per  details. 

FLOOES. 

Provide  and  lay  1^x3  and  4 inch  mill- worked,  first 
quality  pine  flooring  for  all  floors,  except  lobbys  and  porch 
entrance.  Bridge  all  floor  beams  every  10  feet  apart,  and 
blind  nail  with  lOd  nails;  smooth  off  the  joints  at  comple- 
tion. 

TILE. 

Provide  and  lay  Minton’s  tile,  No.  2 pattern,  in  the  lobbys 
of  church  and  chapel,  and  in  porch. 

GALLEEIES. 

Provide  and  fix  side  galleries  in  the  audience  room,  on 
each  side,  10  feet  wide,  9 feet  high  from  the  floor  on  the 
front,  and  12  feet  high  at  the  back,  or  against  the  wall. 
Support  the  same  with  six  Gothic  columns  of  cast  iron, 
three  on  each  side;  construct  the  frame  work  of  4x6  and 
8 inch  scantlings,  with  framed  trusses  from  column  to 
column.  Divide  the  width  into  4 tiers  of  pews  rising  one 
above  the  other  9 inches  each,  or  an  aggregate  rise  of  36 
inches.  Construct  the  pews  to  correspond  with  those  of  the 
audience  floor.  Cut  and  wainscot  the  inside,  and  panel  the 
outside  with  Gothic  trefoil  panels,  as  per  details.  Build  the 
organ  loft  or  gallery  on  the  same  general  plan,  wide 
enough  to  cover  the  lobby,  with  the  middle  space  fitted  up 
for  the  organ  and  choir,  and  the  ends  with  pews.  Provide 
3x12  floor  beams  for  the  floor,  and  construct  the  frame  and 
other  work  according  to  the  working  plan;  panel  the  front 
to  correspond  with  the  side  galleries. 

STATES. 

Build  quarter  circle  stairs,  as  per  plan,  (or  the  ascent  may 
be  changed  if  any  other  form  be  thought  more  convenient) 
9 


194 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


42  inches  wide  in  the  usual  manner,  with  a close  string 
and  close  ceiled  and  paneled  jail,  as  per  details.  Rail-cap 
to  be  of  black  walnut,  and  oiled;  the  other  parts  built  of 
clear  seasoned  pine;  the  steps  to  be  nosed  and  coved,  and 
covered  with  Snow’s  patent  “ Brass  Stair  Facings.”  Build 
chapel  stairs  in  the  same  manner,  as  per  plans.  Build  a 
plain  flight  of  basement  stairs  under  the  lobby  stairs  of  the 
church. 

WAINSCOT. 

Wainscot  the  entire  church  and  chapel,  1st  and  2d  floors 
with  seasoned  and  clear  pine,  3 inches  wide  to  the  window 
stools,  and  20  inches  high  in  the  school  room  of  chapel  op- 
posite each  window,  and  36  inches  elsewhere,  trimmed  with 
a cap. 

TRIMMINGS  AND  ARCHITRAVES. 

Trim  all  the  window  openings  with  returned  Gothic  beads 
2 inches  in  diameter  at  the  juncture  of  the  jamb  and  face 
of  the  wall, the  side  jambs  to  be  plastered.  Trim  the  bottom 
of  the  windows  with  heavy  2 inch  beveled  stools  coin- 
ciding with  cap  of  wainscot.  Trim  all  doors  with  6 inch 
double  moulded  architraves,  as  per  detail. 

FRAMES. 

Build  the  large  and  small  window  frames,  as  shown  by 
the  elevations,  of  pine  plank,  with  heavily  moulded  casings 
and  mullions,  with  4 to  6 inches  face,  and  jambs  8 to  12 
inches  deep,  with  pointed,  and  trefoil  heads  to  fill  the  dif- 
ferent openings,  as  per  details. 

BELFRY  FRAMES. 

The  double  upper  tower  windows  will  be  filled  in  with 
broad  slats  to  keep  out  the  storm  and  to  permit  flow  of 
sound  outward. 

METAL  SASHES. 

All  windows  (except  basement)  will  be  filled  in  with  metal 
and  wood  sashes,  glazed  with  plain  ground  and  stained 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


195 


glass,  diamond  or  other  shape.  The  altar  window  will  be 
glazed  with  a figured  stained  glass  in  different  designs,  as 
shown  in  the  details.  Basement  sashes  and  frames  will  be 
of  ordinary  construction,  glazed  with  extra  thick  American 
window  glass,  hung  with  weights.  Metal  sashes  will  be  pro- 
vided with  sections  for  opening  above  and  below,  as  per 
detail. 

DOORS. 

Provide  and  fix  outside  doors  of  oak,  2)^  and  3 inches 
thick,  panel-moulded  with  heavy  Gothic  flush  moulds;  those 
of  the  church  lobby  to  slide  in  the  wall,  in  the  manner  of 
sliding  doors,  and  to  be  trimmed  with  heavy  locks  and  plated 
knobs  of  the  best  manufacture,  and  provided  with  spring 
and  flush  bolts.  The  middle  entrance  and  side  doors  of  the 
church  to  be  separated  by  a joint  at  the  spring  of  the  arch, 
as  shown.  All  the  interior  doors  to  be  2 inches  thick,  4 and 
12  paneled,  of  pine,  and  B.  M.  hung  with  strong  5 inch  loose 
joint  butts,  and  trimmed  with  the  best  6 inch  mortice 
locks,  and  white  porcelain  furniture.  The  doors  opening 
from  Ike  chapel  and  church  lobbys  into  the  audience  and 
lecture  rooms  will  be  folding  doors,  or  double  and  in  pairs; 
others  will  be  single,  all  in  accordance  with  details  and 
schedule. 

PEWS. 

Build  pews  of  clear  pine,  * with  black  walnut  cap  rails, 
on  the  backs  and  pew  ends  2^x2  inches,  as  per  details, 
located  on  the  floors,  as  per  plans,  30  inches  from  back  to 
back,  allowing  15  inches  for  the  seat,  and  15  inches  for  foot 
space,  and  18  to  20  sidewise  for  each  person.  Pew  ends 
will  be  ornamental,  and  inches  thick,  rounded  and 
chamfered,  backs  1 inch  thick,  and  seats  1%  inch ; backs  and 
seats  inclined  at  an  angle  to  make  sitting  most  natural  and 

* Oiled  Chestnut  may  bo  substituted  for  interior  wood  finish,  if  church 
committee  deem  advisable,  and  authorize  the  additional  outlay. 


196 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


comfortable.  All  pew  backs  are  to  be  provided  with  hard 
wood  book-holders,  one  half  the  length  of  each  pew,  and 
each  pew  with  one  foot  stool,  of  pine,  half  the  length  of  pew. 

PULPIT  OR  DESK,  AND  ALTAR  RAIL. 

Provide  and  lay  the  altar  floor,  enclosed  with  a 6 inch 
black  walnut  rail,  and  3 inch  balusters,  7 inches  from  the 
audience  floor,  as  per  plan,  and  the  altar  recess  floor  back 
of  the  desk  24  inches  from  said  floor,  panel  the  rise  on  each 
side  with  Gothic  panel  work,  and  provide  steps  6x12  inches 
to  the  upper  floor,  as  per  plan. 

DESK. 

Build  an  octagonal  desk  or  pulpit  of  black  walnut,  with 
paneled  base  and  sides,  and  richly  moulded  cap;  size, 
8 feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  6 feet  at  the  top. 
Make  the  top  ©f  the  desk  30  inches  high  above  the  recess 
floor.  Provide  newels  for  the  altar  rails  12  inches  in  di- 
ameter at  the  base,  and  10  inches  through  the  shaft.  Place 
the  balusters  3 inches  apart;  oil  and  polish  all  the  black 
walnut  work  about  the  altar  and  pulpit,  as  directed. 
Provide  and  fit  up  the  recess  closets,  enlarged  2 feet  more 
than  shown  by  the  plan,  as  directed.  The  wall  of  the  clos- 
ets will  be  but  10  feet  high,  and  the  outside  screened  or 
cased  with  Gothic  paneled  wainscot,  extending  around  the 
entire  recess  in  imitation  of  chapel  screens,  for  construction 
of  which  see  details. 


CHAPEL  DESKS. 

Provide  plain  pine  moulded  and  paneled  desks,  for  the 
lecture  and  school  rooms,  set  upon  a platform  8 inches 
high  from  the  floor;  desks  32  inches  high  from  the  plat- 
form, and  of  the  size  on  the  plan. 

VENTILATION. 

Provide  and  fix  ventilating  flues  and  registers,  12  in  num- 
ber, as  directed  per  details. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


197 


FURNACES. 

Provide  and  set  two  portable  furnaces  in  the  basement,  to 
heat  the  audience  room  and  lobbies,  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
supply  15  registers,  placed  in  the  floor,  12x18  inches  each. 

sexton’s  room. 

Provide  and  finish  off  plainly  in  the  basement,  a3  di- 
rected, a sexton’s  room  12x12  feet,  sufficiently  lighted  and 
ventilated,  and  supplied  with  a bell  from  the  pastor’s  closet. 

BERIi. 

Provide  and  fix  a tower  bell,  the  best  Troy  manufacture, 
with  an  8 feet  wheel,  and  to  weigh  800  lbs,  properly  set,  un- 
der the  supervision  of  the  committee  and  architects  The 
necessary  girders  and  floor  beams  being  previously  set  for 
its  support. 

STEPS. 

Provide  a flight  of  steps  for  the  tower  loft  and  bell  room, 
and  also  to  ascend  to  the  highest  openings  in  the  spire. — 
Build  plain,  and  of  strong  pine  plank,  1%,  inches  thick,  as 
directed;  the  first  flight  starting  from  the  organ  loft. 

PAINTING. 

Paint  all  outside  wood  work  except  hard  wood  doors, 
which  will  be  oiled  thoroughly,  3 coats  of  gray,  using  pure 
lead  and  oil.  Shellac  and  stain  the  interior — except  hard 
wood — two  coats,  with  oil  and  sienna,  after  all  work  has 
been  thoroughly  smoothed  and  cleaned  off  with  sand  paper. 
The  open  timber  roofs  will  be  treated  in  the  same  manner, 
and  varnished  three  coats.  All  the  interior  finish  not  in 
immediate  contact  with  feet  or  hands,  will  receive  three 
coats  of  varnish,  as  gallery  fronts,  doors  and  architraves  and 
cornice  moulds  between  the  principal  rafters. 

Paint  the  walls  and  ceiling  two  coats  of  gray,  in  size,  or 
oil  fresco,  as  shall  be  hereafter  decided.  Paint  all  metal 
work  exposed  to  the  weather,  two  coats  of  Prince’s  Metalic 


198 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Paint.  Paint  tlie  stairs  two  coats  of  gray,  also  basement 
wood-work,  and  tlie  close  strings  and  rails  may  be  stained 
or  grained. 

PLUMBING. 

Provide  a No.  4 Douglas  force  and  lift  pump,  brass  cham- 
ber, over  an  iron  sink,  20x41}^  inches  in  the  sexton’s  room, 
supplied  from  the  cistern,  by  a 1%  inch  lead  pipe.  Provide 
and  fix  a bowl  and  faucet,  also  a small  water  tank  in  the 
pastor’s  closet,  with  waste  going  to  the  cess -pool,  and  supply 
from  the  tank  over  the  wash  bowl. 

GUTTERS  OF  LEAD. 

Gutters  of  lead  will  be  formed  in  such  portions  of  the 
eaves  as  will  be  deemed  most  practicable  to  supply  said 
cistern. 

HOSE. 

A hose  must  be  provided  and  attached  to  the  pump,  for 
the  purpose  of  cleaning  windows  and  areas,  and  to  use  in 
case  of  fire. 

Note. — Since  preparing  design  12  for  publication,  the 
estimated  cost  being  more  than  the  Building  Committee  were 
authorized  to  expend,  they  have  reconsidered  their  resolu- 
tion to  build  this  design  and  have  adopted  a second  design 
prepared  by  the  author  and  now  in  process  of  erection. 
The  general  plan  being  the  same,  it  was  not  thought  advis- 
able to  re-en grave  for  the  changes,  internally  or  externally. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


199 


St^ip  thirteen. 

A FARM  BARN. 


are  few  objects  in  the  country 
districts  that  command  our  sympathies 
and  excite  our  interest  more  than  the 
4 ? farm  buildings  erected  for  grain  and 


stock. 

Without  pretending  to  style  or  architectural 
beauty,  they  form  harmonious  and  interesting 
features  in  our  rural  landscape,  and  appeal 
strongly  to  our  national  taste  for  breadth, 
abundance,  and  thrift. 

The  accompanying  plan  is  not  offered  as  a 
model,  though  a very  good  one  for  a grain  and 
stock  fariji,  and  designed  for  one  of  the  grain 
growing  sections  of  New  York  State.  A glance 
at  the  plan  will  show  in  the  main  building  the 


Fig.  1 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


201 


old-fashioned  bay  and  threshing  floor,  bor- 
rowed from  our  German  and  English  neigh- 
bors, and  retained  by  us  as  an  essential  feature 
of  the  Yankee  system  of  barn  building.  The 
main  building  of  our  plan  is  34x44  feet  front- 
ing north-east,  with  wing-extensions  on  each 
side  18x66  feet,  running  southwest,  in  which 
provision  is  made  for  stock,  feed,  and  grain. 
One  side  on  the  southwest  forms  an  L 40  feet 
long.  These  extensions  are  lj  stories  high, 
with  cellars  for  roots,  and  manure  pits,  below 
the  first  floor.  Posts  of  extensions  are  16  feet 
high,  and  posts  of  main  building  24  feet  high, 
giving  abundant  loft  room. 

REFERENCES. 

Fig.  1,  is  the  front  elevation  showing  verti- 
cally boarded  and  battened  walls,  shingle  roofs, 
and  ventilators.  The  frame  is  heavily  timber- 
ed, taken  from  the  forest  and  framed  in  the 
old  style  with  12x12  sills,  8x8  posts,  6x6 
girths,  and  purlins  8x12,  plates  4x6,  braces. 

Fig.  2,  is  the  first  or  ground  floor  plan : T, 
It,  threshing  room,  or  floor,  t6x32  feet;  B, 

9* 


202 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


granary  with  bins,  13x16  feet;  W,  H,  wagon 
house,  16x20  feet;  H,  S,  stalls,  5 feet  wide;  H, 
R,  harness  room,  10x16  feet,  with  stairs  to 
the  loft;  F,  R,  feed  room,  (with  boiler),  12x16 
feet,  and  a range  of  cattle  stalls  adjoining,  4 
feet  wide  each;  C,  C,  corn  crib,  10x15  feet; 
P,  pig-pen,  12x12  feet;  H,  hennery,  10x15 
feet.  The  entire  range  of  buildings  are  well 
ventilated  and  lighted.  A large  water  tank 
is  placed  in  the  barn  yard  into  which  the  rain 
water  is  conducted  from  the  roofs,  one  half  of 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


203 


the  tank  is  arranged  as  a filter,  the  other  half 
as  a pure  water  compartment,  from  which  the 
water  to  be  used  is  drawn. 

The  cost  of  this  barn,  where  the  timber 
could  be  cut  from  the  farm,  and  rough  lumber 
procured  from  the  neighboring  saw-mills,  would 
be  about  $2,000. 


204 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


gjaijit  ^fourteen. 

A COUNTRY  GENTLEMAN’S  STABLE. 


OO^O* 

IGrURE  1,  is  a perspective  view  of  a 
large  double  stable,  designed  for  D.  D. 

Chamberlain,  Croton  Falls,  N.  Y.,  and 
J)'<?  intended  to  embrace  every  modern  im- 
provement in  stable-fitting  worth  having,  com- 
bined with  the  most  perfect  facilities  for  venti- 
lating, the  care  of  horses,  and  the  housing  of 
vehicles.  Size  of  building,  74x84  feet.  First 
story  15  feet,  second  story  10  feet.  Walls 
built  of  hard  brick,  and  hollow. 


Fig.  1. 


206 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  2, — Plan.  Y,  vestibule,  40x40  feet; 
lighted  from  the  dome  above  the  roof.  1,1,1, 
1,  harness  closets,  with  glass  sliding  doors;  C, 
R,  coach  room,  30  x 40  feet,  with  stalls  for  ve- 
hicles, and  space  for  washing  the  same;  W,  wa- 
ter in  coach  room;  S,  stalls,  6x10  feet;  right 
hand  range  for  owner,  left  hand  range  for 
guests;  B,  S,  box  stalls,  10x10  feet;  G,  grain- 
ery,  13x13  feet;  M,  R,  man’s  or  groom’s 
room,  13x18  feet,  made  fire  proof.  Under 
the  loft  stairs  is  placed  a water-closet,  urinal, 
wash-basin,  and  an  additional  water  tank.  Root 
and  manure  cellars  are  beneath  the  first  floor. 

Cost  estimated  at  $15,000. 


Design  Fifteen.  Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


207 


lW  Jiftccn. 

SMALL  SUBURBAN  STABLE. 


IGURE  1,  is  the  elevation  of  a small 
0 wooden  stable,  18x28  feet*  and  open 

One  and  a half  sto- 
Designed 

and  built  for  D.  D.  Chamberlain,  Croton  Falls, 
N.  Y.  Also  for  C.  E.  Parker,  Rutherford 
Park,  R.  J.,  at  a cost  of  $550. 


j@2/(£ 

shed,  12x15  feet. 

V ries  hisrh,  with  ventilator. 


Fig.  2. — The  plan.  C,  carriage  room,  16x14 
feet;  S,  stalls,  4^x9  feet;  C,  S,  cow  shed, 
12x15  feet.  Feed  bin  is  placed  under  the 
stairs,  and  the  harness  closet  in  carriage  room. 


208 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


f esip  Sixteen. 

SMALL  SUBURBAN  STABLE. 


IGURE  1,  elevation  of  a small  suburban 
stable,  20x30  feet,  one  and  a half 
stories.  Hen-house,  12  x 20  feet.  Pig- 
? pen,  10x10  feet. 


Fig.  2 . 


Fig.  2. — The  plan.  C,  carriage  room,  18x15 
feet;  S,  stalls,  5x9  feet;  H,  harness  closet; 
H,  hen-house;  P,  piggery.  Feed  bin  in  the 
loft,  with  shoots  to  lower  the  grain. 


Fig.  1. 


210 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


BOWLING  ALLEY. 


IGrURE  1,  perspective  view  of  a Bow- 
^ ling  -Alley,  13x97  feet,  designed  for 
D.  D.  Chamberlain,  Croton  Falls,  N.  Y. 
’y  Lighted  principally  from  the  roof. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  2. — The  plan.  L,  lobby  entrance,  10x15 
feet;  H,  bowling  track,  86  feet  long  and  4 
feet  wide,  between  the  racks  a ball  holder ; 
P,  P,  passages,  3 feet  wide  on  each  side  of 
track;  B,  IT,  bulk  head  and  bowling  pit. 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


f esign  (Eighteen. 

RESIDENCE  OF  C.  E.  ROBINS. 


Fig.  1. — Entrance  Front  Elevation. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  2. — Plan  of  First  Floor. 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


213 


REFERENCES. 

P,  porch;  H,  hall;  P,  parlor,  15x20  feet; 
D,  It,  dining  room,  15x18  feet;  0,  office,  or 
library,  15x17  feet;  S,  safe,  or  vault  for  of- 
fice; S,  It,  sitting  room,  12x15  feet;  K,  kit- 
chen, 15x15  feet;  P,  pantry,  3x6  feet;  D, 
waiter  and  china  closet. 


Fig.  3.— Plan  of  Second  Floor.  C,  C,  C,  C, 
chambers,  12x15,  15x19,  and  15x16  feet; 
S,  C,  servant’s  chamber.  10x12  feet;  H,  hall. 


214 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


Fig.  4. — Basement  Plan.  W,  wine  cellar, 
10x12  feet;  Y,  C,  vegetable  cellar,  15x18 
feet;  L,  laundry,  12x15  feet;  C,  C,  cellars, 
15x17  and  15x20  feet. 


[;S'ee  Specifications .] 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


215 


SPECIFICATIONS 

Of  the  work  to  be  done  and  materials  to  be  furnished  in  the 
construction  of  a Stone  Dwelling  House , (Design  18,)  at 
Staten  Island , N.  Y.,  for  Chas.  E.  Robins,  Esq.,  in  ac- 
cordance with  Plans,  Elevations  and  Details,  furnished 
by  D.  T.  ATWOOD,  Architect,  335  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


CONDITIONS. 

No.  1.  The  Specifications  and  the  Drawings  are  intended 
to  co-operate,  so  that  any  works  exhibited  in  the  Drawings, 
and  not  mentioned  in  the  Specifications,  or  vice  versa,  are 
to  be  executed  the  same  as  if  it  were  mentioned  in  the  Spe- 
cifications, and  set  forth  in  the  Drawings,  to  the  true  mean- 
ing and  intention  of  the  said  Drawings  and  Specifications, 
without  any  extra  charge  whatsoever. 

No.  2.  All  the  plans  and  specifications,  working  draw- 
ings, &c.,  must  be  kept  in  some  proper  place  during  the 
erection  of  the  building.  And  upon  the  completion  of  the 
same,  and  before  the  final  certificate  is  issued,  they  must 
be  returned  to  the  Architect. 

No.  3.  All  the  materials  required  in  the  erection  of  the 
building,  must  be  of  the  best  of  their  several  kinds,  and 
the  work  done  in  a workmanlike  manner,  according  to  the 
several  plans  and  working  drawings,  and  to  this  specifica- 
tion, and  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Architect,  D.  T. 
Atwood.  No  deviation  is  to  be  made  from  the  plans  and 
specifications  without  his  full  knowledge  and  consent. 

No.  4.  The  contractors  to  be  responsible  for  each  and 
every  violation  of  town,  village,  or  city  Ordinances,  caused 
by  obstructing  the  streets  and  sidewalks,  and  shall  hold 
the  owners  harmless  from  any  damage  or  expense  arising 
therefrom  ; and  at  the  completion  of  the  work,  they  shall 


216 


CO  UNTE  Y HO  USES. 


remove  all  surplus  earth,  rubbish  and  other  materials  from 
the  streets  and  premises. 

No.  5.  Should  any  dispute  arise  respecting  the  true  con- 
struction or  meaning  of  the  drawings  or  specifications,  the 
same  shall  be  decided  by  the  Architect,  and  his  decision 
shall  be  final  and  conclusive  ; but  should  any  dispute  arise 
respecting  the  true  value  of  the  extra  work,  or  of  the  works 
omitted,  the  same  shall  be  valued  by  two  competent  per- 
sons— one  employed  by  the  owner,  and  the  other  by  the 
contractor — and  those  two  shall  have  power  to  name  an 
umpire,  whose  decision  shall  be  binding  on  all  parties. 

No.  6.  The  carpenter  shall  furnish  to  the  mason  the 
bights  of  bhe  respective  stories  of  the  building,  marked 
upon  a rod  for  that  purpose,  setting  forth  the  required 
bights  of  the  walls. 

No,  7.  The  carpenter  and  mason  shall  each  pay  one-third 
of  the  cost  of  insurance  on  the  building  during  its  erection, 
provided  the  owner  sees  fit  to  effect  such  insurance,  with 
carpenters’  risk,  until  completion  of  the  building,  said 
owner  paying  one-third  of  the  premium. 

No.  8.  The  carpenter  shall  not  be  allowed,  without  the 
written  consent  of  the  owner  or  architect,  to  prepare  his 
work  in  the  building. 

No.  9.  The  expense  of  cleaning  the  building,  after  com- 
pletion, shall  be  paid  by  the  carpenter  and  mason. 

No.  10.  The  contractors  shall  afford  the  architects  all 
required  facilities,  such  as  the  putting  up  of  ladders  and 
scaffolds,  to  enable  them  to  inspect  the  work. 

DIMENSIONS. 

The  dimensions  of  main  building  are  as  follows  : 

Width  across  the  front  44  feet. 

Depth,  front  to  rear,  42  feet.  Wing  building  16  x 23  feet. 
Height  of  First  Story  14  feet  0 inch,  between  beams 

“ “ Second  “ 12  “ 0 “ 

“ “ Basement  “ 8 “ 0 “ 

“ “ Attic  “ 11  “ 0 “ 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


217 


in  tlie  middle  of  the  building,  and  3 feet  6 inches  high  at 
the  eaves,  or  from  floor  beams  to  wall  plate.  The  style  is 
a modification  of  the  Gothic;  the  walls  to  be  built  of  rubble 
stone,  with  brown  stone  dressings  for  the  openings,  and 
quoins  for  the  rubble  work.  The  stone  at  or  near  the  pre- 
mises of  the  owner  will  be  used,  he  providing  a sufficient 
quantity  for  this  purpose,  distributed  conveniently  near  the 
building  site  at  his  own  expense. 

For  the  arrangement  of  rooms,  and  the  general  design, 
see  Plans  and  Elevations,  drawn  to  a scale  of  % of  an  inch 
for  one  foot. 

EXCAVATIONS. 

Excavate  for  the  whole  building  according  to  the  plans 
in  form  and  size,  digging  to  a depth  of  3 feet  G inches  from 
the  present  surface  of  the  grade,  for  basement  and  other 
walls.  Excavate  for  footings  20  inches  below  this  depth,  or 
cellar  bottom,  allowing  for  a projection  of  6 inches  on  each 
side  of  the  basement  walls.  Excavate  for  a cistern  12  feet 
in  diameter,  and  12  feet  deep,  allowing  for  an  arch  20  inches 
below  the  surface.  Excavate  for  a cess-pool,  50  yards  from 
the  dwelling,  also  for  a drain  communicating  with  the  same 
from  the  soil  pipes  of  the  building,  said  cess-pool  to  be 
10  feet  deep,  and  10  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  drain  to  be  of 
a sufficient  capacity  to  receive  an  8 inch  tile  pipe,  30  inches 
below  the  surface.  Excavate  for  coal-shoots,  and  for  stoop 
foundations  and  basement  area,  as  directed.  Excavate  also 
for  a conservatory  foundation  3 feet  6 inches  below  the 
grade  line.  V/hen  the  building  is  inclosed,  use  the  earth  to 
grade  up  around  it  to  the  bottom  of  the  basement  window 
sills,  or  to  a point  4 feet  below  the  top  of  the  water-lable,  as 
shown  in  the  elevation. 

FOOTINGS. 

Lay  footings  under  all  outside  basement  walls,  20  inches 
deep  by  34  inches  wide,  to  project  6 inches  on  either  side 
of  said  walls,  and  composed  of  flat  stones  as  large  as  can  be 
10 


218 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


procured  or  selected  from  the  other  mass  of  stone.  Said 
footings  must  be  laid  in  cement  mortar  composed  of  hy- 
draulic lime,  and  clean  sharp  sand  in  the  usual  proportions. 
Prepare  and  lay  footings  under  the  basement  partition 
walls,  18  inches  wide  and  18  inches  deep,  in  the  same 
manner. 

BASEMENT  WALES. 

Lay  the  outside  walls  of  the  basement  (starting  above  the 
footings)  22  inches  thick  of  rubble  stone  taken  from  the 
site  or  neighborhood,  and  in  good  cement  mortar  (as  above) 
up  to  the  grade  line,  and  from  thence  to  the  top  of  1st 
floor  beams  in  good  lime  mortar.  Make  the  height  of  the 
basement  walls  from  the  footings  to  the  top  of  the  water- 
table  9 feet.  Prepare  to  set  back  on  the  basement  walls, 
by  a water-table  of  rough  dressed  brown  stone,  from  the 
face  thereof  for  the  face  of  the  superstructure,  4 inches. 
Leave  openings  in  these  walls,  as  per  plans  and  figured 
working  drawings  to  be  hereafter  furnished  by  the  Archi- 
tect. Build  Coal- shoots,  Stoop  Foundations,  and  area,  of 
rubble  stone,  laid  in  cement  mortar,  the  walls  to  be  18  inches 
thick,  and  the  shoot  and  area  walls  to  be  coped  with  4 inch 
flagg  stone,  level  with  the  grade.  Provide  and  fix  at  each 
end  of  the  area  6 steps,  of  flagg  stone,  3 inches  thick, 
10  inches  wide,  and  4 feet  6 inches  long,  laid  in  good  stone 
bearings  or  strings  composed  of  rubble  stone  laid  in  cement. 
The  risers  will  be  composed  of  brick  laid  the  4 inch  way 
on  stone  underpinnings. 

Build  conservatory  foundation  walls,  as  per  plan,  18  inches 
thick,  starting  feet  below  ground,  and  as  high  as  the 
basement  wall,  of  rubble  stone  laid  in  lime  mortar. 

Point  up  all  these  walls  properly  both  outside  and  inside, 
and  in  laying  the  wall  select  stones  for  face  work  of  a uni- 
form size  and  color. 

Build  all  the  partition  walls  in  the  basement  of  brick, 
hard  burned,  laid  in  good  brick  mortar,  the  thickness  of 
walls  to  be  8 inches;  start  chimneys  in  the  basement,  as  di- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


219 


rected,  to  provide  for  the  Dixon  Grate,  which  requires  a re- 
ceptacle for  the  dust  and  ashes;  make  the  divisions  for 
apartments  in  the  basement,  as  per  plan.  Leave  openings 
and  hot  air  flues,  as  per  plan.  Build  a vault  foundation,  as 
pea:  plan,  of  rubble  stone,  walls  18  inches  thick,  laid  in 
cement,  all  as  directed  by  the  Architect. 

SELLS  AND  LINTELS. 

Provide  and  fix  sills  and  lintels  to  all  the  basement  win- 
dows, and  outside  entrance  door.  The  said  sills  to  be  of 
blue  stone,  4 inches  thick,  to  project  2 inches  from  wall  face, 
and  all  to  be  the  length  required  by  the  openings.  Sills  for 
the  windows  to  be  8 inches  broad,  and  for  the  door  24 
inches  broad,  set  with  a pitch  of  % of  an  inch.  The  lintels 
for  windows  and  door  of  the  basement  will  be  wrought  of 
brown  stone,  to  correspond  with  the  water-table,  but  those 
sections  of  water-table  forming  lintels  will  be  12  inches  wide 
on  the  face,  while  the  water-table  proper,  will  be  only 
8 inches  on  the  face. 

WATER-TABLE. 

Complete  the  basement  walls  by  topping  out  with  a water- 
table  of  brown  stone,  roughly  but  acurately  dressed,  and  set 
flush  with  the  basement  wall,  and  beveled  back  4 inches 
from  its  face,  at  which  point  the  superstructure  wall  will 
start.  Size  of  water-table  6x8  inches.  Set  all  the  water- 
table  in  cement  mortar,  and  level  it  up  true  and  straight 
throughout  the  whole  line.  The  water-table  around  the 
bays  will  be  12  inches  thick  by  8 inches  high,  as  the  base  of 
the  bays  is  designed  to  project  10  inches  from  the  wood 
Avork.  Carry  the  8x6  inches  water-table  around  the  base- 
ment of  entrance  porch,  on  the  stone  foundation,  8 inches 
lower  down  than  on  the  basement  wall  of  the  building  [see 
Elevation].  Point  the  joints  of  brown  stone  with  the 
colored  cement  usually  used.  Clean  and  protect  properly 
this  and  any  other  dressed  stone  work,  as  directed  by  the 
Architect. 


220 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


SUPERSTRUCTURE  WALLS. 


Build  the  superstructure  walls  of  rubble  stone  ; the  face 
stones  to  be  selected  of  uniform  size  and  color,  the  corners 
to  be  trimmed  with  brown  stone  quoins,  and  the  openings 
with  brown  stone  dressings  roughly  dressed,  but  accurately 
formed,  for  their  respective  places.  The  thickness  of  the 
walls  are  to  be  18  inches,  and  are  to  be  laid  up  in  good 
strong  lime  mortar,  leaving  all  openings,  as  per  elevations 
and  plans  and  figured  working  drawings,  to  be  prepared  by 
the  Architect.  Turn  sustaining  arches  of  brick  over  all  the 
openings,  segmental  in  form,  and  strong  enough  to  relieve 
the  lintels  and  arch  stones  from  any  excess  of  weight.  Lay 
such  wooden  bonds  and  lintels  as  may  be  required,  cut  by 
ihe  carpenter. 

Build  chimney-breasts  where  marked  on  the  plan,  includ- 
ing a range-breast  for  the  kitchen,  enclosing  a smoke  and 
ventilating  flue  for  each  room,  well  parged  inside.  Build 
all  of  brick,  a good  hard  merchantable  quality.  Make  the 
range-breasts  6 feet  wide,  with  12  inch  jambs,  and  a blue 
stone  or  iron  lintel.  Make  all  other  breasts  5 feet  wide, 
with  1G  inch  jambs,  inclosing  8x8  inch  flues ; carry  out 
to  the  roof  and  top  out  above  the  same,  as  per  elevations. 

Make  the  caps  of  the  two  large  stacks 
of  brown  stone,  the  balance  of  face,  or 
rubbed  brick.  Turn  hearth  arches  be- 
tween trimmer  and  header  beams  against 
proper  skew  backs.  Lay  a range  hearth 
of  blue  or  brown  stone  20x72  inches 
over  a substantial  foundation  and  arch 
outside  the  jambs,  lay  a brick  hearth  in- 
side the  jambs  under  the  range. 
r==j  Provide  and  fix  anchors  of  % inch 

Jj round  wrought  iron,  44  inches  long,  with 

proper  nuts  and  screws  and  bed  plates, 
every  10  feet  apart  in  the  superstructure 
ney  top,  % scale.  walls  to  secure  the  plates  to  the  same. 


) odiop 


Fig.  5. 

Half  elevation  of  Chim- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


221 


Provide  and  fix  proper  anchors  for  tieing  the  floor  beams 
to  the  walls,  and  any  anchors  required  for  dressed  stone. 

Provide  and  set  dressed  brown  stone  for  the  superstruc- 
ture walls  as  follows:  Three  door  sills  to  agree  with  the  water- 
table,  each  about  24  inches  wide,  cut,  as  per  detail,  the  length 
required  by  the  openings.  Sills  for  3 bay  windows,  6x8 
inches,  plain  bevel,  4 inches  projection;  and  24  gothic  sills, 
6x8  inches,  set  flush  with  the  wall,  of  the  length  required 
by  the  respective  openings,  cut  as  per  detail.  Provide  27 
segment  arches,  6x12  inches,  with  3 inch  beveled  jambs, 
and  double  this  number  of  caps,  4 inches  thick,  plain  and 
square,  13  inches  long.  Trim  all  the  jambs  of  the  openings 
under  these  arches  with  beveled  quoins,  10x6  inches,  as  re- 
presented by  the  elevations.  Trim  the  corners  of  the  whole 
superstructure  with  quoins,  as  shown  in  elevation,  either  in 
solid  blocks  18  x 24  inches,  or  with  ashlar  not  less  than  4 
inches  thick. 

For  particular  directions  the  workmen  are  referred  to  the 
details  to  be  hereafter  prepared  during  the  progress  of  the 
work.  All  the  dressed  brown  stone  above  mentioned,  with 
pediment  quoins,  and  pediment  copings,  must  be  laid  or  set 
in  cement  mortar,  and  properly  anchored;  and  it  is  intend- 
ed that  none  of  the  brown  stone  shall  be  rubbed , but  rough- 
ly tooled  or  dressed.  Carry  up  the  bay  windows  with  stone 
to  the  underside  of  the  sills.  Point  up  the  stone  work  in 
the  best  manner,  using  colored  mortar  for  the  joints. 

PUGGING. 

Provide  and  lay  pugging  mortar  over  ‘‘sound  boarding,” 
put  in  by  the  carpenter,  for  the  first  and  second  floors 
throughout,  composed  of  coarse  mortar  mixed  with  coarse 
chopped  straw  or  hay;  let  the  pugging  be  at  least  to  2 
inches  thick,  and  evenly  spread. 

VAULT. 

Construct  a library  vault,  as  per  plan,  of  16  inch  brick 
hollow  walls,  starting  on  the  basement  foundation;  cover 


222 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  top  so  as  to  clear  the  floor  beams  of  second  story,  with 
a segmental  arch  of  brick  8 inches  thick.  Leave  an  open- 
ing on  the  library  side  for  an  entrance  3 feet  wide  and  8 
feet  high,  turn  an  8 inch  arch  over  the  foundation  forming 
the  floor,  this  arch  to  be  covered  with  cement;  the  sides  of 
the  interior  will  also  be  covered  or  plastered  with  cement 
and  then  kalsomined  white;  a ventilating  flue  will  be  formed! 
to  communicate  with  the  chimney  flue,  with  screen,  to  con- 
duct foul  air  out  of  the  vault. 

DRAINS. 

Construct  a principal  soil  drain  from  the  water-closet  in 
the  basement  to  the  cess -pool  in  the  yard,  a distance  of  150 
feet,  of  6 inch  tile  pipe,  laid  in  the  best  manner. 

Construct  4 inch  tile  drains  for  inlet  and  outlet  to  the 
cistern,  the  outlet  to  communicate  with  a separate  cess-pool, 
and  be  provided  with  a trap  ; place  these  drains  sufficiently 
below  ground  to  be  secure  from  frost,  and  let  them  have  a 
descent  of  % inch  to  the  foot.  Construct  around  the  in- 
terior of  outside  basement  walls  a drain  of  4 inch  tile  pipe, 
set  over  the  footing  course,  and  having  a gradual  descent 
at  a point  farthest  away  from  the  soil  drain  towards  and 
connected  with  the  same.  Provide  to  drain  the  area  by 
means  of  this  drain,  and  also  the  entire  cellar,  grading  the 
bottom  from  the  middle  towards  the  outside  walls. 

FL  AGING. 

Flag  the  area  with  2 inch  flag-stone,  laid  in  good  mortar, 
giving  the  stones  a descent  toward  the  cellar  drain  so  as  to 
discharge  any  accumulated  water  at  one  point. 

BRICK  PIERS. 

Build  brick  piers  12  x 12  inches  to  sustain  the  porch  floor 
of  north  front,  5 in  number,  about  4 feet  high. 

BATH,  PLASTER, 

and  hard  finish  the  entire  building  excepting  the  attic, 
cellar,  wine,  and  milk-rooms  of  the  basement  story.  The 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


223 


attic  story  will  be  finished  in  two-coat  work,  not  including 
the  tank  and  the  lumber  rooms , which  are  to  be  left  entirely 
unfinished.  The  furring  off  will  be  done  by  the  carpenter. 

STUCCO  WORK. 

Run  plain  gothic  cornices,  as  per  details,  around  the  ceil- 
ings of  all  the  principal  rooms  of  1st  and  2d  stories,  and  the 
main  and  private  halls.  The  cornice  of  the  1st  floor  must 
be  10x12  inches,  and  those  of  the  2d  floor  must  be  8x10 
inches,  same  style,  using  as  little  “stuff”  as  possible.  See 
details. 

Provide  and  fix  for  the  1st  floor  4 circular  gothic  centers, 
36  inches  in  diameter,  and  2 circular  gothic  centers  24 
inches.  For  the  2d  floor,  provide  and  fix  5 circular  gothic 
centers,  24  inches  in  diameter. 

VENTILATORS. 

Provide  and  set  9 iron  japanned  Ventilators,  8x8  inches, 
provided  with  cords  and  tassels  complete.  Provide  and  fix, 
as  directed,  12  black  japanned  furnace  Registers,  of  the  size 
directed  by  the  Architect. 

MANTELS  AND  GRATES. 

Provide  Mantels  or  chimney  pieces,  with  Dixon’s  low  down 
grates  complete,  for  the  following  rooms:  Parlor,  one  white 
marble  mantel,  with  the  grates  set  and  finished,  to  cost  the 
sum  of  180  dollars.  One  mantel  for  Library  of  verde  an- 
tique, 160  dollars.  One  mantel  for  Living  room,  black  and 
gold,  150  dollars.  One  mantel  (no  grate)  for  Kitchen,  black, 
75  dollars.  Four  for  the  chambers,  green,  brown,  and 
sienna,  to  cost  each,  including  grates  and  setting,  the  sum  of 
160  dollars.  If  the  “Dixon”  grates  cannot  be  secured  with 
the  mantels  inside  the  above  amounts,  then  any  proper 
substitute  or  change  may  be  referred  to  the  owner  through 
the  Architect. 

CISTERN. 

Construct  a Cistern,  as  per  plan,  12  feet  in  diameter,  and 
12  feet  deep  in  the  clear,  using  rubble  stone  for  the  side 


224 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


walls,  and  hard  burned  brick  for  the  arch.  Lay  the  arch 
24  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground;  leave  a “man- 
hole” in  the  center,  24  inches  square,  provided  with  a stone 
neck  and  cover.  Plaster  the  interior  of  the  cistern  with 
3 coats  of  water-lime  cement,  and  grout  the  bottom  thor- 
oughly, in  the  usual  manner. 

The  contractor  for  the  Mason  Work  will  be  required  to 
provide  sound  merchantable  materials;  to  perform  all  his 
work  in  a workmanlike  and  substantial  manner,  according 
to  intent  and  meaning  of  drawings,  and  under  the  Architect’s 
supervision  or  superintendence.  He  will  be  required  to 
protect  properly  all  his  finished  or  unfinished  work,  and  to 
clear  the  premises  of  all  rubbish,  scaffolding,  etc.,  of  his  own 
creating. 

OO^OO 

CAEPENTER  WORK. 


TIMBER  AND  FRAMING. 

Provide  spruce  and  hemlock  framing  and  other  timber, 
of  merchantable  quality,  as  follows  : Plates  3 x 12  inches, 
floor  beams  3 x 10  inches  — 16  inches  from  centers.  Girders 
4x6  inches  and  4x8  inches.  Partition  studs  3x4  and 
2x4  inches;  set  the  4 inch  way,  and  16  inches  from  cen- 
ters. Kaf ters  3x6  inches — 20  inches  from  centers.  Furrings 
2x1  — 16  inches  from  centers.  Lintels  and  bonds  2x4  and 
2x1  inches.  Bridging  pieces  2x4  inches.  Bridge  all  the 
floors  and  partitions  through  the  centers.  Set  all  partitions 
upon  horizontal  pieces  spiked  to  the  floor  beams  ; and  trim 
4 x 8 inch  girders  over  the  heads  of  hall  and  cross  parti- 
tions, to  sustain  the  floor  beams,  and  carry  up  partitions 
with  the  outside  walls.  Frame  in  headers  around  all  the 
breasts  and  flues,  and  opposite  all  window  and  door  open- 
ings in  the  basement,  as  directed,  and  per  framing  plans, 
also  for  stair  ways  and  dumb  waiters.  Build  the  attic  frame 


[COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


225 


of  4x6,  2x4  and  6x6  inch  scantlings,  bearing  principally 
upon  the  middle  partitions,  well  braced,  and  sufficient  to 
sustain  the  middle  of  the  roof.  Place  double  studs  around 
all  openings.  Brace  partitions  over  voids,  and  double 
headers  over  openings,  frame  for  porch,  piazza,  and  bays, 
as  directed. 

ENCLOSING.  — SLATING. 

Lay  the  roofs  of  the  building  with  sound  hemlock  or 
spruce  boards,  edge  to  edge,  and  securely  nailed  to  every 
rafter. 

Prepare  these  roofs  to  receive  the  slate,  and  provide  and 
lay  blue  and  purple  slates  in  3 alternate  courses  of  blue 
and  purple,  underlaid  with  tarred  paper.  Provide  the  small 
sizes,  and  lay  with  galvanized  iron  nails. 

TIN. 

Cover  the  bays  with  first  quality  roofing  tin,  leaded  I.  C. 
laid  over  narrow  mill-worked  spruce  boards,  cover  the  rear 
piazza  in  the  same  manner. 

Provide  and  fix  all  manner  of  flashings  for  chimneys, 
bays,  porch  and  piazza,  dormer  and  valley;  tin  for  all  val- 
leys painted  before  being  laid  down,  and  securely  fixed. 
Cover  all  hips  and  ridges  with  galvanized  iron,  securely 
camped  to  their  respective  positions. 

GUTTERS  AND  LEADERS. 

Form  tin  gutters  in  the  roof  around  the  attic  frame,  be- 
hind the  roof  balustrade;  these  gutters  are  to  supply  the 
tank,  in  the  tank  room,  and  must  discharge  by  means  of  a 
3)4  inch  leader  on  the  east  side  into  the  same. 

Form  gutters  of  tin  for  the  main  roof  cornices  as  large 
as  can  be  formed  by  14x20  inch  tin,  laid  the  20  inch 
way.  Provide  to  discharge  the  water  at  the  north-east 
corner  of  the  building  into  the  cistern  by  a 4 inch  tin 
leader,  securely  anchored  to  the  wall  with  iron  hooks,  and 
made  to  connect  at  the  ground  with  the  tile  inlet  drain  to 
10* 


226 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  cistern.  Form  small  gutters  to  all  bay,  porch  and  piazza 
roofs,  and  provide  each  with  one  2 inch  leader,  discharg- 
ing at  the  ground  from  an  elbow  into  the  waste. 


CORNICES. 

Trim  the  eaves  of  the  main  roof 
with  a gothic  cornice,  as  per  eleva- 
tions, whose  projection  from  the  walls 
will  be  30  inches,  and  height  on  the 
walls  40  inches. 

OBSERVATORY. 

Construct  an  observatory  of  wood, 
with  a clear  story  of  8 feet  between 

Eave  section  of  Cornice.  beams  ag  shown  in  elevations,  lighted 
Scale,  % of  an  inch.  > o 

on  all  sides  by  windows,  per  eleva- 
tions, 20x60  inches  each,  in  2 lights.  Let  the  projection  of 
the  cornice  bo  20  inches,  and  the  height  18  inches.  Trim 
with  a base  18  inches  high  and  10  inches  projection;  sepa- 
rate the  windows  with  chamfered  pilasters,  9 inches  wide; 
place  the  roof  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees,  and  surmount  its 
apex  with  a turned  finial,  4 feet  high,  and  20  inches  in  di- 
ameter at  its  base.  (See  details.) 


BAY. 

Construct  one  octagonal  bay  window,  and  two  square  bay 
windows  (per  plan),  of  wood,  above  the  sill  course.  The 
pilasters  of  the  parlor  bay  will  be  8x8  inches,  and  chamfered. 
Those  of  the  square  bays  will  be  12  inches,  with  3 inch 
turned  shafts  or  columns,  planted  on  chamferes  formed  on 
the  opposite  outside  angles.  Form  Boxings  under  the  bay, 
as  directed  by  the  Architect,  of  mill-worked  seasoned  stuff, 
descending  from  sills  to  the  basement  floors,  4 inches  in  the 
clear  by  the  width  of  bays,  set  plumb,  and  provided  with 
proper  ways,  and  separate  boxes  for  weights  and  pulleys. 
These  boxes  are  to  receive  the  shutters  for  the  bay  window 
inside,  in  place  of  the  old  method. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


227 


Scale,  % of  an  inch. 


Elevation  of  Octagonal  Bay. 
Scale,  % of  an  inch. 


PORCH. 

Build  a front  porch  of  wood,  as  shown,  with  a narrow 
pine,  mill- worked,  floor,  joints  laid  in  white  lead,  with  pe- 
destal base,  surmounted  by  square  pilaster  backs  and  % 
round,  10  inch  pilasters  planted  against  said  backs,  and  all 
supporting  an  entablature  and  roof  over  tudor  arches,  as 
shown.  The  thickness  of  the  base  or  pedestal  is  15  inches, 
and  of  the  ground  and  pilaster  12  inches;  the  interior  is 
plainly  finished  and  sheathed  with  narrow  beaded  ceiling 
boards  not  over  3 inches  wide;  the  exterior  is  to  be  covered 


228 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


with  narrow  3 x 1%  inch  mill- worked  boards,  and  above  the 
caps  of  columns  made  to  represent  stone  courses,  by  means 
of  chamfer  grooves.  Project  the  cornice  from  the  body  or 
face  of  the  porch  24  inches,  and  let  its  height  be  22  inches. 
Provide  and  fix  a balustrade  (as  shown)  28  inches  high, 
with  clustered  pedestals  8x8  inches  each,  and  8x8  inch 
quarter  foil  balusters,  set  20  inches  apart,  and  filled  in  with 
ornamental  wrought  iron  wire  panels.  Surmount  the  caps 
of  corner  pedestals  with  gothic  points. 

The  roof  of  porch  will  be  covered  with  tin;  and  prepara- 
tions for  gutters  must  be  previously  made  by  the  carpenter, 
as  directed;  pitch  the  roof  4 inches  from  the  center.  (Size 
of  porch  6 x 12  feet.) 

STOOP,  &G. 

Attached  to  the  porch  will  be 
the  stoop  and  steps.  The  former 
will  be  4x12  feet,  made  of  wood, 
sheathed  up  over  a rough  frame 
on  the  outside  with  narrow 
mill- worked  pine  l^inch  plank, 
and  floored  with  the  same.  The 
lattice  4x8  inch,  or,  including 
4 steps  and  5 risers,  12  inches 
broad,  and  8 inches  high,  and  8 
feet  long,  constructed  in  the 
usual  manner  with  1)4  inch  pine 
treads  and  1 inch  risers,  and 
fixed  to  plank  strings  inside  of 
dressed  1^  inch  risers,  aud 
sheathed  up  and  down  on  the 
outside  under  the  strings  with 
1 inch  narrow  boards, mill-work- 
ed, and  laid  on  a rough  frame; 
surmount  the  stoop  with  newels 
and  rails,  as  shown  ; the  inter- 
mediate spaces  to  be  filled  in 
with  ornamental  wrought  iron 
wire  panels.  Size  of  the  step 


i 


Elevation  of  entrance  Porch. 
Scale,  of  an  inch. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


229 


newells  10  x 10  inches,  and  3 feet  6 inches  high;  size  of  stoop 
newels,  8x8  inches,  and  2 feet  10  inches  high  ; width  of 
rails,  12  inches;  thickness,  6 inches;  size  of  base,  4x6  inches. 


Build  outside  steps  for  the  conservatory,  kitchen  entrance 
and  rear  piazza,  in  the  same  manner  as  specified  for  stoop 
steps;  for  widths,  number  of  risers,  &c.,  see  plans  and 
elevations. 


Build  a rear  piazza  over  the  basement  area,  as  per  plans 
and  elevations,  8 x 26  feet,  and  15  feet  high.  Lay  the  floor 
of  1%  inch  mill-worked  pine  [in  white  lead]  over  a rough 
timber  frame  of  3x10  inch  beams,  16  inches  from  centers, 
resting  on  the  brick  piers,  and  ceiled  underneath  and  on 
the  outside,  as  directed.  Support  the  roof  with  10  x 10  inch 
chamfered  pillars,  trimmed  with  a base,  necking,  and  caps. 
Form  the  frieze  of  2 inch  pine  plank;  let  the  roof  project 
24  inches,  and  rise  22  inches.  Plane  and  bead  the  rafters 
(which  are  to  be  2 x 6 inches,  placed  18  inches  from  centers), 
and  cover  the  same  with  narrow  beaded  ceiling  boards, 
with  the  dressed  sides  downwards,  upon  which  the  tin  will 
be  laid.  Construct  the  pillars  out  of  1)4  inch  seasoned 
pine  plank. 


OUTSIDE  STEPS. 


PIAZZA. 


Fig.  10. 

Sections  of  Roar  Piazza,  Y scale. 


Provide  and  fix  a roof  bal- 
ustrade, as  shown,  extending 
around  the  observatory  and 
over  the  pediment,  composed 
of  a plain  pattern  of  wrought 
iron  wire  railing,  fixed  be- 
tween six  18x18  inch  wooden 
pedestals,  24  inches  high,  sur- 
mounted with  square  caps,  and 
pyramidal  gothic  points  24  in- 
ches high,  and  the  whole  fixed 
to  a base  4 inches  thick,  and  18 
inches  broad,  made  of  wood  to 
correspond  with  the  coping  of 


230 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


the  stone  pediment ; behind  this  the  tank  gutters  will  be 
formed,  as  before  mentioned. 


BALCONIES. 

Provide  and  fix  wrought  iron  wire 
balconies,  2 feet  6 inches  high,  sup- 
ported by  iron  brackets  set  in  the 
wall,  (excepting  the  one  over  the  par- 
lor bay)  and  provide  with  wooden 
floors  of  narrow  inch  pine  plank, 
^ 1L  secured  to  the  brackets  with  screws; 

Section  of  Roof  Balustrade.  trjm  e(Jges  0f  the  floors  with  a 

Scale,  % of  an  inch.  , ^ 

nose  and  a cove,  making  the  height 

of  the  margin  4 inches  ; two  of  said  balconies  will  be 
square,  and  30  inches  wide  by  7 feet  6 inches  long;  the  other 

one  will  be  octagonal.  [See 
plans.  ] 

DORMERS. 

Build  four  triangular  Dorm- 
ers -on  each  side  of  the  roof, 
lighting  the  attic,  7 feet  wide  at 
the  base,  and  5 feet  6 inches 
altitude,  or  high,  outside  meas- 
urement; slope  the  roofs  at  an 
angle  of  60  degrees.  Trim  the 
fronts  with  crown  mouldings 
and  verge  boards.  Slate  the 
roofs  and  surmount  the  ridges 
with  wrought  iron  wire  finials,  18  inches  high,  painted 
bronze  and  gilded.  Form  casements  inside,  to  receive 
swinging  sashes,  as  directed. 

DOOR  AND  WINDOW  FRAMES. 

Provide  and  set  plank  window  frames  for  the  base- 
ment, of  the  sizes  required  by  the  openings,  (excepting 
laundry  frames,  which  are  to  have  boxes  for  weights),  con- 


Scale,  % of  an  inch. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


231 


struct  of  2 inch  plank,  for  jambs,  and  1^  inch  plank  for 


sills,  case  with  a plain  Gothic  bead, "'make  the  mullions,  of 
such  as  require  the  same,  3 and  2 inches  thick,  as  directed. 
Make  all  the  window  jambs  7 inches  wide,  the  outside  door 
jambs,  18  inches  wide  and  paneled,  a portion  of  which  may- 
be ceiled.  Inside  door  jambs  6 inches  wide,  and  1^  inches 
thick.  Provide  and  set  4 window  frames  with  mullions,  as 
shown,  with  boxes  for  weights,  and  6 inch  turned  columns, 
supporting  quarter  foil  arches,  under  “tudor”  stone  arches, 
(see  details).  Provide  and  set  all  other  window  frames, 
both  single  and  mullioned,  of  the  sizes  required  by  the 
openings,  with  boxes  for  weights  made  in  the  usual  man- 
ner, and  cased  on  the  outside  with  a 2 inch  Gothic  bead. 
(See  elevations,  also  details).  Provide  and  fix  all  outside 
door  frames  of  the  sizes  required  by  the  openings,  made  of 
2 inch  pine  plank,  with  paneled  jambs,  corresponding  with 
the  door  panels,  and  moulded  with  ogee  flush  moulds. 
Case  outside  of  door  frames  with  2 inch  Gothic  beads. 
Make  interior  door  frames  of  1%  inch  pine,  6 inches  wide; 
the  outside  door  frames  to  be  18  inches  wide. 

SASHES  AND  DOOKS. 

Provide  double  glazed  2 inch  sashes  for  the  basement, 
those  of  the  laundry  to  be  hung  with  weights,  and  all  the 
remainder  to  be  hung  with  hinges  and  fastened  with  bolts. 
(No.  of  lights,  1 and  2 in  each  sash).  Provide  single  glazed 
2 inch  sashes  for  the  first,  second,  and  attic  stories,  of  two 
and  four  lights,  as  per  elevations,  hung  with  weights  and 


232 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


fastened  with  No.  27  sash  fasteners,  in  a complete  manner. 
The  attic  sashes  will  swing  on  hinges,  and  be  fastened  with 
bolts  or  buttons.  The  observatory  sash  will  be  hung,  as 
others  in  first  and  second  stories,  and  made  to  slide  down 
in  boxes  under  sill  of  windows.  All  sashes  throughout 
the  building,  will  be  glazed  with  double  thick  American 
glass,  first  quality. 


DOOKS. 

Provide  doors  as  follows  : First  story — One  pair  front 
doors  5 feet  11  inches,  two  panels,  B.  M. , 2%  inches  thick, 
and  glazed.  One  pair  rear  doors,  5 feet  11  inches,  two  pa- 
nels, B.  M.,  2%  inches  thick,  and  glazed.  One  pair  dining- 
room doors,  6 feet  11  inches,  eight  panels,  B.  M.,  2 inches 
thick.  Eleven  single  doors,  3 by  10  feet,  4 panels,  B.  M. , 
2 inches  thick.  Second  story — Eighteen  single  doors,  2 feet 
10  inches  by  9 feet,  four  paneled,  ogee  joints,  inches 
thick.  Attic  and  Basement — Nineteen  single  doors,  2 feet 
10  inches  by  7 feet  6 inches,  four  paneled,  ogee  joints,  1 % 
inches  thick.  One  pair  basement  doors  5x7  feet,  four 
paneled,  ogee  joints,  inches  thick,  and  glazed.  Pro- 
vide and  fix  dumb-waiter,  water-closet,  and  hall-closet  doors, 
as  directed,  four  paneled,  ogee  joints,  1%  inches  thick. 
All  to  be  of  clear,  seasoned,  white  pine,  made  in  the  best 
manner,  and  the  work  to  be  kiln-dried  before  gluing  up. 
Hang  all  the  basement  and  attic  doors  with  x 3X  inch 
loose  joint  butt  hinges;  trim  and  fasten  with  5 inch  mortise 
locks  and  white  mineral  furniture.  Hang  the  first  floor 
doors  with  5x5  inch  loose  joint  butt  hinges;  trim  and 
fasten  with  5%  inch  mortise  locks  with  porcelain  furniture. 
The  entrance  doors  to  have  7 inch  mortise  locks,  with  night 
keys,  and  also  flush  iron  bolts.  The  second  story  doors  to 
be  hung  with  4x4  inch  loose  joint  butt  hinges,  and  fasten- 
ed and  trimmed  like  the  first  story. 

FLOOKS. 

Lay  all  the  floors  of  the  basement,  first  and  second  sto- 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


233 


ries,  with  narrow  1)4  x 4 inch  mill-worked  pine  plank.  No 
wooden  floors  are  to  be  laid  in  the  cellars,  wine,  or  milk 
rooms;  but  in  the  other  portions  locust  sleepers  will  be 
laid  down,  20  inches  apart,  to  receive  the  floor  planks. 
Lay  the  attic  floors  of  wide,  mill-worked  spruce,  134  inches 
thick.  Lay  the  conservatory  floor  of  the  same,  over  3x8 
inch  beams,  18  inches  from  centers. 

PARTITIONS. 

Form  all  the  partitions  above  the  basement  of  2 x 4 inch 
studs,  set  the  4 inch  way,  16  inches  from  centers,  over  hori- 
zontal pieces  of  the  same  laid  on  the  floors.  Form  prin- 
cipal rooms  and  closets,  as  per  plans ; double  the  studs 
around  all  openings,  and  bridge  all  the  partitions  through 
the  middle  with  2x4  inch  studs. 

FURRING. 

Furr  off  all  the  outside  walls  with  2x1  inch  spruce  fur- 
ring strips,  16  inches  from  centers,  secured  to  the  top  and 
bottom,  and  at  two  points  equi-distant  in  the  middle. 
Furr  down  or  strap  the  first  and  second  story  ceilings  with 
the  same  materials,  the  same  distance  apart,  nailing  to  every 
joist  or  beam. 

STAIRS. 

Build  one  flight  of  main  front  stairs,  3)4  feet  wide,  with 
7 inch  risers,  and  10  inch  treads,  in  the  usual  manner,  of 
pine,  1)4  inch  treads,  quarter  circle  at  the  landing,  with  a 
12  inch  well-hole,  surmounted  with  a 6 inch  toad-back  rail, 
2 inch  octagonal  balusters,  square  top  and  bottom,  and  a 
12  inch  octagonal  newel,  with  turned  cap  and  base.  Build 
three  flights  of  stairs,  (private  back,)  starting  from  the 
basement,  and  landing  in  the  attic,  quarter  circle,  and  2 
feet  9 inches  wide,  with  a 6 inch  well-hole,  and  surmounted 
with  a plain  and  oval  3 inch  black  walnut  rail,  1 14  inch  turned 
spindle  balusters,  and  turned  8 inch  newel,  at  the  starting. 


234 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


The  rail  will  be  continued  around  the  cylinder  and  “ die,” 
against  the  wall  in  the  attic  passage.  Stud  off  and  form 
niches,  as  per  plans.  When  the  rails  are  properly  com- 
pleted and  hung,  the  stairs  bracketed,  etc.,  polish  or 
rub  the  rails,  newels,  and  balusters,  and  oil  two  coats,  in 
the  best  manner.  Build  a flight  of  attic  stairs,  2 feet  6 
inches  wide,  surmounted  with  a pine  rail,  as  directed,  to 
observatory. 

BASE  AND  AECHITBAVES. 

Provide  and  fix  plain  5 inch  single  moulded  architraves 
for  the  basement  story.  Wainscot  the  laundry  and  pas- 
sages. Provide  and  fix  throughout  the  first  and  second 
stories  4 and  5 inch  gothic  cove  and  bead  architraves,  fixed 


Fig.  14. 

Section  of  Base.  Scale,  % of  an  inch. 

to  grounds  behind  plain  jambs.  Place  panel  backs  and 
plain  elbows  under  the  sills  of  all  the  windows.  Lay  base 
throughout  first  and  second  stories  of  the  building  (except- 
ing kitchen)  8 inches  wide,  with  a plain  plinth  1 inch 
thick,  and  capped  with  a Gothic  roll  or  bead  to  correspond 
with  that  of  the  architrave.  Trim  the  attic  in  the  same 
manner  as  specified. 

WAINSCOT. 

Skirt  the  kitchen  with  a plain  wainscot,  3 feet  high,  all 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


235 


around,  composed  of  narrow  beaded  ceiling  boards,  capped 
with  a nose  and  cove.  Wainscot  the  laundry  and  the  base- 
ment passages  in  the  same  manner. 

SHUTTERS. 

Provide  and  hang  in  the  usual  manner  1)^  inch  ogee 
joint  shutters,  paneled  both  sides,  for  first  and  second 
stories,  hung  in  6 inch  folds  for  each  window,  trimmed  and 
fastened  in  the  usual  manner  with  knobs  and  bolts,  or 
hasps.  The  bay  window  shutters  will  be  hung  in  boxes 
with  weights,  one  fold  to  each  light,  1^  inches  thick,  and 
ironed  on  the  edges  to  secure  from  warping.  See  Archi- 
tect’s details  and  special  directions. 

DUMB  WAITER. 

Provide  and  fix  a way  for  a dumb  waiter,  from  the  base- 
ment to  the  second  story,  24x16  inches  in  the  clear,  per- 
fectly true  and  smooth,  ceiled  with  narrow  matched  boards, 
3 inches  wide.  Provide  and  hang  in  this  way,  a waiter  closet 
in  the  usual  manner,  with  all  the  necessary  apparatus  com- 
plete. 

FITTINGS  AND  FIXTURES. 

Fit  up  with  pine  wood  around  the  water  closets,  bath 
tub,  and  wash  bowl;  around  the  former  with  plain  paneling, 
and  around  the  latter  with  plain  narrow-beaded  ceiling. 
Case  around  all  plumber’s  piping,  as  directed.  Fit  up  a 
linen  closet,  as  per  plan,  with  shelves,  drawers,  and  a cedar 
inclosure,  20x40  inches,  for  furs  and  silks.  Fit  up  all 
other  clothes  closets  with  two  shelves  and  two  dozen 
japanned  wardrobe  hooks  each.  Fit  up  the  kitchen 
pantry  with  8 shelves,  12  and  18  inches  wide,  and  a case  of 
four  drawers,  6 inches  deep,  trimmed  with  locks  and  knobs. 
Fit  up  the  closet  marked  c,  with  broad  shelves,  5 in  num- 
ber, with  a napkin  drawer  under  the  first  one,  trimmed 
with  a strong  lock  and  knobs. 


236 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fix  on  strong  cleets  one  dozen  wardrobe  hooks  for  each 
servant’s  bedroom,  for  the  dressing  room,  and  for  the  bath 
room,  and  1 % dozen  for  the  closet  under  the  main  back 
stairs. 

TANK  BOOM. 

Strengthen  the  floors  of  the  tank  room,  by  doubling  the 
number  of  the  beams,  2 to  1 for  those  specified  in  4 4 Timber 
and  Framing,”  and  then  construct  a tank  8 xl2  feet,  and  4 
feet  high,  of  narrow  mill- worked  plank  drove  together  in 
a frame-work  of  4x4  inch  joists,  and  clamped  all  around 
its  outer  surface  every  24  inches  (see  details).  No  cover  is 
needed ; but  precaution  must  be  taken  to  secure  it  from 
freezing  by  making  the  room  air  tight. 

BELLS  AND  SPEAKING  TUBES. 

Provido  and  hang  10  bells  in  the  kitchen  to  communicate 
with  the  first  and  second  floors,  as  follows: — One  for  front 
entrance,  one  for  parlor,  one  for  library,  one  for  living 
room,  and  one  for  each  of  the  principal  chambers  or  bed 
rooms  on  the  second  floor,  and  fix  one  designated  a 44  foot- 
bell,”  in  the  center  of  dining  room  floor,  all  properly  ad- 
justed, and  radiating  from  the  kitchen.  Also  provide  and 
fix  speaking  tubes  from  the  second  story,  adjoining  the 
dumb  waiter,  communicating  with  the  laundry  and  kitchen. 
Provide  and  hang  a bell  in  the  servants’  room  communi- 
cating with  the  bed  room  over  the  living  room  on  second 
floor. 

VAULT  BAIL,  AC. 

Provide  and  fix  a library  wrought  iron  railing,  3 % feet 
high,  with  an  entrance  gate,  3 feet  wide,  opposite  the  vault 
door,  as  designated  on  plan.  Provide  and  fix  an  iron 
frame,  and  iron  doors,  to  the  vault,  as  directed.  These 
doors  and  frame  the  owner  will  provide  at  his  own  expense. 
Hang  a wooden  R.  M.  4 paneled  pine  door,  over  these  iron 
doors,  as  directed. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


237 


DUST-HOLE. 

Provide  and  fix  in  the  kitchen,  to  communicate  with  the 
coal  and  wood  cellar  a dust  leader,  6 inches  in  diameter, 
made  of  tin  or  sheet  iron,  and  painted,  provided  with  a 
funnel-shaped  mouth  12  inches  in  diameter,  and  covered 
with  a lid,  as  directed. 

PLUMBING. 

Provide  for  the  plumbing  supply  as  follows: — Two  large 
size  iron  sinks,  set  on  legs,  one  in  the  kitchen,  and  one  in 
the  laundry.  Build  four  wash-trays  in  the  laundry,  20  x 24 
inches — 18  inches  deep,  and  supplied  with  hot  and  cold 
water  pipes.  Provide  and  fix  a good  2}^  inch  brass 
force-pump  in  the  laundry,  communicating  both  with  the 
cistern  and  the  tank,  with  lead  or  iron  1^  inch  pipes. 
Provide  and  fix  a complete  water  closet  apparatus,  and  a 
urinal  in  the  basement,  as  per  plan.  Provide  and  set  on  an 
iron  stand  a 45  gallon  copper  boiler,  square  head,  and  con- 
nect with  the  water-back  of  the  range  (supplied  by  the 
owner).  Provide  both  sinks  with  hot  and  cold  water. 
Provide  for  the  bath  room  one  copper-pinced  bath  tub,  5 
feet  6 inches  long  ; one  wrash-bowl  set  in  a marble  frame, 
with  marble  wall  plates,  as  per  plan,  and  both  the  tub  and 
bowl  supplied  with  hot  and  cold  water.  Provide  for  the 
bath  room,  one  water  closet,  with  all  its  apparatus,  in  com- 
plete working  order.  Provide  and  fix  a 4 inch  iron 
soil-pipe  in  the  wall,  descending  from  the  bath  room  to 
sewer  drain.  Line  the  tank,  in  the  tank  room,  with  copper 
in  the  best  manner,  supply  all  necessary  traps,  waste  and 
supply  pipes,  overflow  pipes,  and  all  other  materials,  ne- 
cessary to  make  a complete  and  satisfactory  job.  Provide 
plaited  cocks  for  the  wash-bowl. 

PAINTING. 

Paint  all  exterior  wood  work,  except  window  frames, 
three  coats,  of  warm  stone  gray  color,  thoroughly  sanded, 
using  lead  and  oil  for  the  last  two  coats.  Paint  or  stain  the 


238 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


outside  of  the  window  frames  two  coats  of  cherry  or  oak 
color.  Paint  all  sashes  outside  a bronze  green.  Paint  the 
parlor  and  the  bed  rooms  three  coats  of  pure  white.  Paint 
the  attic  and  the  basement  two  coats  of  French  gray 
Grain  the  dining  room,  halls,  library,  living-room,  kitchen, 
and  pantry  in  imitation  of  oak  wood.  Paint  all  the  closets 
two  coats  of  white  lead  and  oil  paint.  Before  painting  any 
of  the  work,  nail-heads  must  be  covered  with  putty,  crevices 
must  be  filled,  knots  shellaced,  and  the  work  thoroughly 
rubbed  and  sand-papered.  Paint  all  the  tin  roofs,  valleys, 
gutters,  and  leaders  two  coats  of  slate  colored  paint,  as 
directed. 

MATERIALS. 

Materials  of  every  kind  must  be  of  a good  merchantable 
quality.  The  wood  for  finishing  the  building  to  be  prin- 
cipally of  white  pine,  thoroughly  seasoned,  and  all  the  work 
to  be  completed  in  a thoroughly  workmanlike  manner,  to 
the  full  intent  and  meaning  of  drawings,  scale,  and  detail, 
and  under  the  directions  of  the  Architect. 

The  carpenter  will  be  required  to  properly  protect  his 
work  during  its  progress,  and  at  its  completion,  to  remove 
all  rubbish  of  his  own  creating  from  the  premises,  as  di- 
rected. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Provide  and  fix  iron  gratings  to  the  basement  windows 
above  the  grade  line,  as  directed.  Provide  gratings  for 
the  glazed  doors.  Shutters  must  be  provided  for  the 
laundry  windows,  of  wood,  13^  inches  thick. 

\ CONSERVATORY. 

Build  a conservatory  of  wood  and  glass,  13  x 16  feet,  as 
per  plan  and  elevation ; the  roof  curved  and  pitched 
at  an  angle  of  22°;  the  sash  bars  curved,  1 x 2\  inch- 
es, set  12  inches  apart  between  rebates  ; and  the  whole 
house  glazed  with  single  thick  American  glass  laid  in 
aquaria  cement.  Provide  one  outside  entrance,  three  roof 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


239 


and  three  side  ventilating  sashes,  provided  with  proper 
hold-fast  fixtures,  complete.  Trim  the  eaves  with  neat 
moulds,  projecting  6 inches,  and  form  a light  gutter  there- 
in, discharging  the  water  to  the  ground  by  means  of  a 2 
inch  leader.  Paint  the  whole  house  two  coats  of  white 
lead  and  oil  paint,  inside  and  outside.  Inside  stands  and 
tables  are  to  be  provided  by  the  owner.  For  the  con- 
struction, see  details. 

HOT  AIR. 

Chambers  or  pipes  must  be  inserted  in  the  partitions  for 
first  and  second  stories,  as  per  plans,  of  the  proper  capaci- 
ty to  supply  twelve  outlets,  or  registers.  Provide  and  set 
in  the  basement  hall  one  of  Lisley  & Elliot’s  No.  10  Gothic 
furnaces,  for  hot  air  supply,  set  in  a brick  chamber  in  the 
usual  manner,  with  hot  air  pipes  radiating  to,  and  com- 
municating with  the  register  pipes.  Provide  a cold  air 
box,  as  directed,  made  of  mill-worked  stuff,  1 inch  thick, 
12  x 24  inches. 

GAS  PIPES. 

Provide  and  lay  pipes  of  the  proper  capacity,  to  supply 
the  basement  with  four  outlets,  the  first  floor  with  eight 
outlets,  and  the  second  floor  with  eight  outlets,  as  directed. 


Half  Elevation  of  Observatory. 
Scale  of  an  inch. 


240 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Design  flinejcen. 


A DOUBLE  COTTAGE,  IN  THE  RURAL 
GOTHIC  STYLE. 

ooJ^OO 


w 


demand  of  late  for  double  dwellings 
has  been  so  frequent,  that  we  feel  we 
shall  be  dome;  somebody  a service  by  the 
V introduction  of  the  following  design: 

To  those  who  possess  only  moderate  means, 
with  the  desire  to  make  the  most  of  them,  this 
class  of  dwelling  has  advantages  of  consider- 


able merit  over  the  single  dwelling. 

The  most  important  is  that  of  cost;  since  by 
joining  two  small  houses  together,  not  only  is 
an  entire  flank  wall  saved,  but  the  expense  of 
another  is  greatly  reduced,  while  the  effect  of  a 
large  dwelling  is  secured,  by  the  usual  accom- 
paniment of  external  area,  and  architectural 


242 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


detail,  and  reducing  probably  the  entire  cost 
twenty-five  per  cent,  below  the  cost  of  two 
se  arate  dwellings. 

REFERENCE. 

Fig.  1. — Elevation  of  entrance  front,  42 h 
feet  wide,  and  two  stories  and  an  attic  in  height. 
Height  of  first  story,  10  feet;  second  story,  9 
feet;  whole  depth  from  front  to  rear,  59  feet; 
extension,  one  story  high.  The  walls  of  this 
dwelling  are  filled  in  with  pale  brick,  lathed  and 
plastered  inside,  and  weather-boarded  outside. 
The  gables  are  trimmed  with  ornamental  verge 
boards,  cut  out  of  2 inch  plank.  The  finials 
are  octagonal,  7 inches  in  diameter.  Orna- 
mental balconies,  30  inches  wide,  project 
over  the  entrances  ; side  stoops  and  hoods 
are  provided  for  the  side  doors.  Piazzas  were 
purposely  left  off  to  lessen  the  cost,  but  can  be 
added  on  each  end  of  the  main  building.  The 
entire  finish  is  of  medium  quality,  and  thor- 
oughly substantial.  Hard  wood  mantels  are 
provided  for  the  first  story,  flue  rings  and 
shelves  for  the  second  story.  The  chimnies  are 


CO  TJNTR  Y HO  USES. 


243 


toped  out  above  the  roof  with  Garnkirk  oc- 
tagonal shafts.  Cost  of  the  entire  building, 
$4000,  or  $2000  a dwelling. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor.  Size  of  the  main  build- 
ing, 25^x42^  feet;  rear  building,  331x33$ 
feet.  F,  lobby,  paved  with  tile,  6x7  feet;  P, 
parlor,  12x12  feet;  B,  It,  bed-room,  8x12  feet; 
D,  R,  dining-room,  12x16  feet;  K,  kitchen, 
14x16  feet;  P,  Y,  pantry,  6x8  feet;  M,  R,  milk 
or  store-room,  4x8  feet;  W,  H,  wood-house, 
12x16  feet.  The  stairs  are  “ box, 77  with  cel- 
lar flights  underneath. 


244 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig,  3. — Second  floor.  C,  C,  C,  chambers, 
12x12,  12x18,  and  8x10  feet.  The  front 
chamber  opens  in  the  front  upon  the  balcony. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


245 


S^ip  ©uumtg. 

ITALIAN  COTTAGE. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation,  A of  an  inch  for 
one  foot. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor  plan. 

REFERENCE. 

P,  parlor,  14x20  feet;  S,  R,  sitting  and 
reception  room,  10x14  feet ; C,  bed-chamber, 
10x10  feet;  B,  B,  bath  room,  6x10  feet; 
D,  R,  dining  room,  12x15  feet;  P,  pantry, 
6x6  feet;  I,  C,  ice  closet,  6x6  feet ; K,  kitch- 
en, 9 xl3  feet ; W,  H,  and  W,  R,  wood  house 
and  wash  room,  8x15  feet;  L,  lobby,  7x9 
feet;  A,  arcade,  7x19  feet. 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


247 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor  ; containing  three  bed 
rooms,  10x20,  10x16,  and  9x14  feet  respec- 
tively. Closets  per  plan;  and  a room  in  the  up- 
per story  of  the  tower  9x9  feet.  Cost  of 
House,  $5000. 


248 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


249 


Design  2teentn-<£)ne. 

ITALIAN  VILLA. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation,  i6  of  an  inch  for 
one  foot. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

P,  parlor,  15x18  feet;  D,  It,  dining  room, 
12x18  feet.  The  hall  separating  these  rooms 
is  7x18  feet;  stairs  3 feet  wide.  S,  It,  sitting 
room,  14x14  feet ; L,  larder  or  pantry,  6x8 
feet,  with  a side-board  (S,  B)  ; W,  C,  wash  or 
toilet  closets,  5x6  feet;  W,  C,  W,  C,  outside 
and  inside  water  closets,  3ix4  feet  wide;  P, 
Y,  pantry,  8x8  feet;  M,  It,  milk  room,  4x8 

feet;  W,  H,  wood  house,  10x12  feet;  P,  J, 

11* 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


251 


conservatory,  12x36  feet;  opening  into  sit- 
ting room  by  glass  doors. 


Fig.  2. 

Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  C,  C,  C,  C,  bed  cham- 
bers, 12x18,  12x13,  11x14,  and  11x11  feet; 
H,  hall,  7x18  feet,  with  stairs  continuous  to 


252 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


servants  attic;  C,  L,  closets,  5x6  feet;  B,  B, 
balconies,  7x12  and  3x9  feet*  There  is  a 
cellar  under  the  whole  building  7 feet  high. 
Cost,  $8000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


253 


Design  ®iccntw-®ujff. 

MELROSE  COTTAGES. 

FOR  P.  MCHUGH,  ESQ. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation,  of  an  inch  for 
one  foot. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor  plan. 

REFERENCES. 

P,  parlor,  14x13^  feet;  B,  P,  back  parlor, 
14xlo2  feet;  S,  study,  6x8  feet;  H,  lobby 


Fig.  2, 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES, 


255 


or  hall,  6x21  feet.  Piazzas  front  and  rear,  6 
feet  wide. 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  C, 0,0,0,  bed  rooms, 
13x13  and  7x8  feet. 

i!U  PL 

A 


Fig.  4. 


Fig.  4. — Basement.  H,  hall,  6 feet  wide ; 
D,  B,  dining  room,  13x13  feet;  K,  kitchen, 
13x13  feet,  with  three  closet^;  A,  A,  front 
and  rear  areas.  Cost,  $2,500  each  house. 


256 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Design  @u:cnt]»-®iu;i;o. 

A PICTURESQUE  VILLA. 

DESIGNED  FOR  MR.  TOOKER,  OF  ORANGE,  N.  J. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation,  2\  of  an  inch  for 
one  foot. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

T,  tower,  8x8  feet;  H,  hall,  separated  by 
an  arch,  8x8  feet,  with  a back  corridor  com- 
municating therewith,  4 feet  wide  ; P,  parlor, 
15x20  feet;  D,  P,  dining  room,  12x15  feet; 
L,  library,  10x11  feet;  K,  kitchen,  14x15 
feet,  with  pantries  ; P,  P,  side  and  rear  piaz- 
zas, 8x10  feet. 

Second  floor  contains  5 rooms  and  4 closets. 
Attic  2 servants’  rooms.  A cellar  is  built  un- 
the  whole  dwelling,  7 feet  high. 


Fig.  1. 


258 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


First  story,  11  feet  high  ; second  story,  11 
feet  high  ; attic,  9 feet  high,  in  the  middle. 
Designed  for  stone,  with  slate  roofs,  at  a 
cost  of  $10,000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


259 


Design  Stoenfjr-Jout;. 

A DOUBLE  SUMMER  RESIDENCE,  OF  BRICK, 
ON  THE  BAY  SHORE,  S.  I. 

DESIGNED  FOR  MR.  COVILLE . 

Fig.  1 .—Elevation  of  the  water  front,  of 
an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

H,  hall,  8x12  feet;  R,  It,  reception  room, 
12x12  feet ; P,  parlor,  16  x 20  feet. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


261 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  H,  upper  hall,  8x12 
feet;  C,  C,  C,  bedrooms,  12x12  and  10x10 
feet ; C,  L,  closets. 


Fig.  4. — Basement.  C,  cellar,  3x13  feet ; 
D,  It,  dining  room,  12  x 14  feet ; K,  kitchen, 
12  x!6  feet ; P,  pantry, and  C,  C,  china  closet. 
Each  house  or  dwelling  to  cost  $4000. 


262 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


A COUNTRY  HOUSE, 

Fig.  1. — Perspective  view,  24  of  an  inch  for 
one  foot. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

H,  hall,  13x13  feet;  P,  parlor,  14x20  feet; 
L,  H,  living  room,  13x18  feet;  K,  kitchen, 


264 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


12x16  feet;  B,  R,  bed  room,  8x12  feet;  P, 
passage ; C,  passage  to  cellar ; P,  pantry, 
5x10  feet ; M,  milk  room,  7x10  feet;  P,  P, 
piazzas,  front  and  rear. 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  H,  hall,  13  x 13 
feet;  C,  C,  C,  C,  bed  rooms,  10x14,  13x18, 
and  11  x 16  feet;  B,  R,  bath  room,  8x9  feet ; 
C,  L,  closets  ; B,  balcony. 

Designed  to  be  built  of  brick.  Cost,  $10,000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


265 


Design  i'trcntg-^tx. 

A SINGLE  SUMMER  RESIDENCE  OF  BRICK, 
BAY  SHORE,  S.  I. 

DESIGNED  FOR  MR.  COYILLE. 

Fig.  1. — Elevation  of  water  front.  Scale, 
i6  of  an  inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2, 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

H,  hall,  7^  xlO  feet ; L,  living  room,  18x18 
feet;  L,  library,  10x10  feet 

n 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


267 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  H,  hall, 
side  hall  4 feet  wide ; C,  C,  C, 
9x13  and  10  x 10  feet. 


Fig.  4. 


Fig.  4. — Basement.  H,  hall,  7 
D,  dining  or  breakfast  room; 
12  x 16  feet ; C,  cellar,  6x9  feet 
ets  for  stores  and  wine. 

Cost,  $5000 


7i  x 10  feet; 
bed  rooms, 


'l  x 10  feet ; 
K,  kitchen, 
; C,  C,  clos- 


268 


COUNTRY  HOUSED 


Mm$\x 

A MECHANIC’S  COTTAGE. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation.  Scale,  i of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

E,  entry,  4x7  feet;  L,  It,  living  room, 
11x13  feet;  K,  kitchen,  11x13  feet;  E,  back 
entry ; S,  sink  and  pump ; S,  It,  store  room, 
5x7  feet ; P,  pantry,  5x5  feet ; P,  piazza. 


Fig.  1. 


270 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


Fig.  3. — Second  floor.  C,  C,  bed  rooms, 
8x9  and  11x13  feet;  P,  C,  C,  closets  and 
passage,  per  plan. 

Built  of  wood,  at  a cost  of  $1400. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


271 


l^sigii  Slujtntjr-ffiight. 

A COUNTRY  HOUSE. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation.  Scale,  i of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

H,  hall,  8 feet  wide;  P,  P,  parlors,  14x16 
and  16x16  feet;  S,  sitting  and  dining  room, 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


273 


16x18  feet;  E,  entry  or  lobby,  5x5  feet;  K, 
kitchen,  12x15  feet;  W,  wood-house,  5x8 
feet;  S,  store  room,  5x8  feet;  P,  kitchen 
pantry,  4x9  feet;  P,  piazzas* 

Second  floor  has  5 rooms  and  4 closets. 

Built  of  wood,  and  to  cost  $6000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


2?4 


Design  ®icciifn-|)tiic. 

BRONXVILLE  HOUSE. 

DESIGNED  FOR  FRANCIS  BACON,  ESQ. 


Fig.  1.— Perspective  view.  Scale,  of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig . 2. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES/ 

H,  hall,  13x17  feet;  P,  parlor,  15x17 
feet;  S,  It,  sitting  room,  15x17  feet;  D,  It, 


Fig.  1. 


276 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


dining  room,  13x17  feet;  K,  kitchen,  13^x15 
feet,  W,  R,  wash  room,  6x10  feet;  P,  Y, 
pantry,  6x6  feet ; S,  store  room,  4 x 4 <2  feet ; 
W,  II,  wood  house,  5x15  feet. 


Fig . 3. 

Fig.  3.— Second  floor.  C,  C,  C,  C,  C,  bed 
chambers,  14x15,  15x15,  11x13,  10^x13, 
and  9x10  feet;  B,  B,  bath  room,  71x92  feet; 
S,  R,  servants’  room,  8x10  feet;  H,  hall. 


Fig.  L 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


277 


Fig.  4. — Basement.  A,  area ; C,  C,  cellar  ; 
C,  B,  coal  bin. 

Designed  to  be  built  of  stone,  and  to  cost 

$12,000. 


278 


COUNTRY  HOUSES . 


IMgit  Sftqtg. 

A COUNTRY  HOUSE. 

DESIGNED  FOR  MR.  COLE,  SNEEDEN’S  LANDING, 
ON  THE  HUDSON. 

oo^<x 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation.  Scale,  2\  of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

L,  lobby  or  vestibule  ; H,  hall,  10  x 24  feet ; 
P,  parlor,  18x24  feet;  D,  dining  room,  17x20 


Fig.  1. 


280 


CO  UNTR  Y HO  USES. 


feet;  1ST,  nursery,  10x12  feet;  P,  piazza, 
9jxl8  feet;  D,  W,  waiter;  P,  pantry;  E,  en- 
try from  side  porch. 

Second  story  contains  five  bed  rooms  and 
closets. 

The  above,  although  designed  for  wood,  we 
learn,  was  executed  in  stone,  with  full  second 
story,  and  have  no  knowledge  of  the  cost.  If 
built,  as  designed,  of  wood,  with  basement  be- 
low first  floor,  its  cost  would  not  be  far  from 
18000. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


281 


gfstp  i$htt[tg-©ne. 

ME.  J.  H.  POST’S  VILLA. 

DESIGNED  FOR  ERECTION  AT  GLASTENBURY,  CONN. 
— 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation.  Scale,  32  of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. 

Fig.  2. — First  floor. 


Fig.  1. 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


283 


REFERENCES. 

P,  piazza;  H,  hall,  llixl2j  feet;  P,  par- 
lor, 18x20  feet;  B,  library  or  bed  room, 
12x18  feet ; C,  conservatory  ; D,  dining  room, 
16x20  feet;  B,  bed  room,  14x16  feet;  K,! 
kitchen,  14x16  feet;  W,  wood  house,  14x16 
feet;  H,  bathing  room,  8x10  feet;  closets  per 
plan. 


Fig.  3.— Second  floor.  C,  C,  C,  C,  C,  C,  bed 
rooms ; B,  bath  room. 

Designed  for  wood,  and  to  cost  $15,000. 


284 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


A SUBURBAN  DWELLING  OF  STONE. 


Fig.  1. — Perspective  view.  Scale,  2\  of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 


286 


COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


REFERENCES. 

H,  hall;  P,  parlor,  14x15  feet;  S,  study, 
14x15  feet ; P,  H,  plant  house ; D,  R,  dining 
room,  16x18  feet;  K,  kitchen,  14x16  feet; 
P,  pantry,  9 xl5  feet;  B,  It,  bed  room,  11x14 
feet ; C,  L,  closets ; S,  side-board ; W,  H,  coals 
and  wood  ; W,  C,  water  closet ; P,  P,  piazzas. 

Second  floor  contains  five  rooms  and  closets. 

Cost,  about  $15,000. 


Fig.  l. 

(Design  Thirty-three. — See  next  page.) 


COUNTRY  HOUSES, 


287 


LABORER’S  COTTAGE. 

Fig.  1. — Front  elevation.  Scale,  32  of  an 
inch  for  one  foot. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  2. — First  floor. 

REFERENCES. 

P,  porch,  10x10  feet;  E,  entry  or  lobby, 
8x8  feet;  L,  living  room,  16x20  feet;  K, 
kitchen,  16x20  feet;  B,  B,  bed  rooms,  10x12 
and  10x10  feet;  C,  C,  closets,  8x8  and  4x5 
feet;  P,  pantry,  5x5  feet. 

Cost,  built  of  wood,  $1500. 


. 


